Hello Mom!!

 How are you? It sounds like you had a busy week. I got your handwritten letter on Friday. It sounds like Ammon's Eagle Court of Honor was good. What did he do for his project? I still have a lot of catching up to do to thank everyone for all the letters they sent me for Christmas. Everyone is so generous and caring! We aren't really getting very much snow. The big storm that was supposed to hit us hit everyone north and south of us. We just got a drizzle of snow and today it is raining. 

  You said that you have been asked to speak in Stake Conference...that's awesome!! You asked for some ideas on how Relief Society helps with activation. That first thing that I thought of was through visiting teaching. Arlene Love is a perfect example of how visiting teaching helps people come back to church. Helping those that are less active feel the Spirit is so important and visiting teaching does that. Mom, you are a great example of a faithful visiting teacher. You go every month and the sisters that you visit know they can count on you no matter what. Think of some of the sisters that you have visit taught over the past years...maybe some of them came back and maybe some of them didn't but you played a vital role in helping them have the spirit in their home. Thanks for your wonderful example Mom!!! I love you so much!!! 

  This week has been awesome!! We started teaching a lady that has met with the sisters before. She really wants to get baptized but she thinks that she won't ever be able to quit smoking. We are going to try to help her realize that the Savior can help her because of the Atonement. She has such a strong desire to get baptized but her faith in the Atonement is lacking a little bit. We talked to her about studying the Book of Mormon and why it is important. She loves learning about the gospel. She always has questions for us. 

  A member, Sister Gretter, brought a friend, Kathy, to church this week. Kathy met with Sister Johnson, my trainer, when Sister Johnson was here in Methuen. Sister Gretter told Kathy that I am a lot like Sister Johnson. When I went to talk to Kathy, she mentioned to me that I was famous. It through me off a little. She told me that Sister Gretter had told her all about me. Kathy then said, "I think you are an answers to my prayers." I don't know if I am an answer to her prayers but I hope I can help her come closer to her Savior. She has been searching for truth for a long time. We are meeting with her this week and she told me that she has a lot of questions to ask us. I can't wait to meet with her!! 

 Sister Brea gave a talk yesterday in church and she talked about her dad. She lost her dad very suddenly about six years ago. She described how she felt after that and how her siblings felt. I felt like she was telling everyone my life story. It was a tender mercy of the Lord. I was trying to describe to my companion how it felt and the only way I could describe it was to tell her that I felt like I was watching myself give that talk. It was such a spiritual talk. She talked about how the gospel has helped her and her family. She is one of 15 kids. She is an amazing woman!!

  This week I studied about our life on earth and why we are here. Our life here is an opportunity and a blessing. It is an opportunity because it is what makes it possible for us to become like our Father in Heaven. If we didn't come to earth then we could not progress. We are put on the earth to choose righteously. Those who are choosing wickedness are living in a state that is contrary to our nature (Alma 41:10-11). God wants us to be happy and the way we are happy is if we are choosing to live the way that He has asked us to. I think of the quote from President Hinckley, "Don’t make the kinds of mistakes that will bring regret. You can be wise and happy or stupid and miserable. The choice is yours.” That is so true!! I love you! Have a great week!!!

  Love,

    Sister Griffin

On Sun, Jan 26, 2014 at 11:26 PM, griffincru@juno.com <griffincru@juno.com> wrote:

HI, Missy Callee,

How are you doing?  Have you had a good week?

I hear tell you wrote Marilyn and Gary L:iptrot a sweet letter.  You are good to try to catch up and keep up.  You are amazing!

Are you still having to walk because of bad snow storms?  Jennifer said she heard news reports of lots of snow in the north east part of the country.

Are you still teaching investigators?

I still haven’t heard from Lilliene that moved to Salt Lake.  I’ve been hoping she will call.

This has been a good week for me.  I didn’t go to Family Home Evening group because Iwent to Salt Lake with the Barnes.  I already told you that.

Tuesday, I went to lunch with Kathy Talbot.

Wednesday, I worked for Coray’s.  I will start goi9ng there on Fridays, too.  They’re having a few troubles, so I need to drive them around a little.  Barbara is falling off and on.  Ed can’t help her because then he would fall.

Diane and I went to the Logan Temple with the temple group.  It had been awhile since we had been with them.  There were 8 of us.

Thursday, we (Darren and I) went to the Olive Garden to dinner and Jennifer and Brad and Lindsay and Shawn were waiting for a table so we ate with them.

I had Friday off.  I just fiddled around.  I made chicken noodle soup and took some to Brooks and to Dolly. 

Saturday, I just cleaned the house and then at night I went to Weber State’s basketball game.  Weber won.  They played Montana university.  I enjoyed going – it was fun.

Today, I should have gone to the Ewings house for dinner, but I had thyem to my house because we all went to Ammon’s Eagle Court of Honor.  That was a real nice program – a live eagle came from the Ogden Nature Center.  The man who gave the presentation did a superb job.  It was cool.

Well, I’ll close for now.  Take care. I love you and miss you, too.   

  Love, Mom