Mother's Day and email monday!!!

We had a great time chatting with Whitney on Sunday.  As we were waiting for 11:00 to finally get here, I was pulling up google and skype (didn't know which she would be using).  At about 10:50 the phone rang.  We were very hopeful that it would be her.  I picked up my phone and when we saw a Utah number we were a little disappointed.  I answered and a man's voice was on the other end.  He introduced himself and I was assuming he must be a new member in our ward until he said he was calling to make sure everything was set up for our call with Sister Collins.  It was a member in New Hampshire with a Utah phone number.  Whitney said his parents live in Cedar City.  He had called to make sure we had google hang-out installed and to test it before she got there.  I am so grateful for him taking the extra time.  I heard so many stories of families who had their chat time cut short because they had problems getting the chat to connect.

As for our conversation, it was just like she was home and we were chatting in the family room.  She did tell us that the one investigator has set a baptism date.

We asked her if she had any awkward moments while she's been there.  She couldn't think of any so she turned to her companion and asked her if she could thing of any.  She said there were more than she could count, including multiple proposals.

Our hour went by way to fast, but we loved every minute of it!!!

On to email Monday....

"When he (their investigator) told us that he wanted to get baptized we didn't set a date.  Now the date is either going to be June 21 or 22.  For some reason the bishop doesn't like doing baptisms on Saturdays but that makes it so the New Member has to wait a week before they can receive the Holy Ghost.  We talked to the Bishop at coordination and he is considering allowing us to have it be on Saturday June 21 which is a big deal.  So we are making it our goal to set the standard for very spiritual baptisms.  Sister Morgan says that when a person is getting baptized, the reverence should be at the same level as it is at the temple because the ordinance is just as great.

It is incredible how much S has progressed!  He has even ben sharing what he has learned with his friends at each lesson.  Without even realizing it, he bears his testimony of something he learned and has come to know that it is true.  He is even looking up things he has questions on during the week on lds.org and sets aside an hour a day to read the Book of Mormon and to read some of the other books that the ward mission leader has given him.  The other day in our lesson he started to talk about the feeling he gets when he reads and was saying he couldn't even describe it.  We pointed out that it was the Holy Ghost.  He smiled really big and was almost in tears. So, basically, it is going to be a really good baptism.

I have to say that it is truly heartbreaking to meet people on the street who you can tell are so down and have had some pretty hard times, but they completely refuse to hear your message when you know that it will bring them so much happiness and relief. I just hope and pray that one day they will be able to find the truth and the joy.

Oh, and about that song the lady in my ward wrote; she met with this guy she knows and is having him put the son together with music and print it.  He liked it so much that he is planning to put it on a cd and she is going to give us copies of it.  She also wants us to sing it in sacrament meeting once it is finished. Crazy, right?!?!  I never thought that someone would write a song from my testimony.

Love you lots!!!!!

PS I love that boy.  Give him lots of kisses for me and have a party ;) "

The PS was because I told him that when Kaleb saw the picture Chelsea posted of our chat, he reminded his mom that he likes to tease Whitney.  As for the party, every letter he has had his mom write includes information on the many parties he and Whitney are going to have.  I replied to Whit that we would plan a party for her birthday on the 20th.  She can celebrate in New Hampshire while we celebrate at home.

 Dinner at Red Arrow restaurant

 Sister Morgan and Sister Collins

 Whitney being Whitney. :) I think she took this one to show us she does wear her hair straight sometimes.

 $2 pizza and then they gave them a second for free.  (Must be those big eyes!)

 Alley Cat Pizza

 Giant lego man in downtown Manchester

"So our sink keeps doing this funky thing where randomly it will have soapy sudsy water come up and out of the drain but it's not our water...and we don't know what to do."  Yay for getting neighbors dishwater in your sink.  I told her to have the landlord check the neighbors sink for a clog.  Loving their new moose hats!  Almost didn't recognize her in this pic.  Too funny!

Other things mentioned in short replies:  She misses my food and cooking. :)  Is it because she likes it or because she now has to do most of her own cooking??? ;)  She has also LOVES real maple syrup.  She promised she would send us some soon.  

One of the missionaries that was in her district in the MTC sent her a package recently from Australia.  She had mentioned she likes kangaroos and he sent her a stuffed animal kangaroo that is 8-10 inches tall.  I'm not sure how she is going to fit that in her luggage!

FYI, her birthday is in 8 days!!!! She would love to receive letters and cards from her friends and family.  She said it is nice to get mail.  She can only access her email on Monday's, but handwritten letters are there for her to look back on.  Her address can be found on her facebook, or you can send mail to the Mission Home.  She usually gets mail that goes to the mission home the same day since she is only 10 minutes away.

Sister Whitney Collins

New Hampshire Manchester Mission

2 Bedford Farms Ste 208

Bedford, NH 03110-6532