He has Risen!!!

HELLO! Happy April! Such a pleasent time of year. The weather today is SUPER great. It had been cloudy for the last couple of days but the sun is shining brightly. My study desk is right by a window and I was just getting soaked with sun rays this morning. So wonderful.
Wasnt general conference SO GREAT???? OH man Elder Holland's talk...just had me sitting there silent for a moment. It was so good. I loved all the talks. I dont have my notes on me right now but I felt that as each person was talking I was like AMEN to that! So great. Next week I will bring my notes so I can tell you about all the things I loved about conference. We had a few investigators come and watch and I know they felt the spirit, but my heart broke for a few who didnt come because I know there were so many talks that would have blessed their lives. Im sure thats how our Heavenly Father feels when we don't watch conference.

How is the whole reading 5 pages a day in the Book of Mormon going? I must admit Im like 10 pages behind of where I should be but that is because I have a ton of other studies to do for my investigators so I have decided Im doing this reading when I have any extra time as I am stretching in the morning after our run and my companion is showering..or right before bed, ext. We dont have very many of those minutes so Im trying. I really was pondering on the story when Nefi, sam, laman and lemuel went back to jersulem and Lehi's wife was murming a ton and calling him a visionary man and doubting. Then when she had the proof (her boys came back), she was all happy and thankful. I was just thinking about how I want to suffiently develop spiritually that I have more trust and faith than to quickly be discouraged. (Discouragement weakens faith says page 10 of PMG) So Id love to hear about everything you all have been reading. I mean I guess I have extra motivation too because me and Sis Vasquez (picture attached) are trying to do all the commintments that we leave with our investigators in our own time (driving, before bed, before studies,ext) so we know how they feel. It is going GREAT!

This week has been really good. I guess I will tell you a funny thing first. So yesterday was April Fool's day and the holiday had been brought up a couple of days ago and I explained to Sis Vasquez was it was and she really wanted to do it. So yesterday we were coming back for the second session of general conference and we decided we would tell the elders that sis vasquez needed to go home. I couldnt stop laughing so it wasnt really believable (i kinda felt bad telling them that), but one elder came over and saw her "crying" and you could tell he looked super awkwarded out and was like is she ok? Ha and another elder was checking his white handbook seeing what he was allowed to say. We then told them and it was super funny. Sis Vasquez was laughing about it all day :).

So cool thing that happened this week. We were teaching Betsy about the plan of salvation and we get to adam and eve. We explain the very basics of what happened and she was like, "its actually kind of weird I was pondering about Adam and eve this morning and how God knows everything and it had to be part of his plan". I really felt the spirit so strong. She is just being so prepared by the spirit. I love teaching her, BUT she didnt come to general conference. I was sooo sad. There were so many talks that were perfect for her. However she did come to the ward talent show this friday which was so fun. One guy did the Napolean dynomite dance and Hna Vasquez has never seen that so she was super confused. She thought his 'vote 4 Pedro" shirt was so funny. Also random side note, our spanish investigators came and she was, at first, soooo offended by that dance, she though he was making fun of spanish people. It just goes to show you what happens when we are quick to make judgement (Elder Holland and Elder Uchdorf's talk)

Andres and the evangelista family are doing so good. They are taking all of our invitations and running with them. They came to all the sessions of general conference on Sunday and stayed with the spanish branch for lunch. He is looking forward and preparing for baptism. We are just praying that they will decide to come to the branch instead of the english ward.

We knocked into this awesome lady last night. There was a court that I have wanted to knock for a long time, so finally we had a moment to do it yesterday. The first house wasnt home but then we came up to the second house and found a young mom. At first she was just like "we are christian, thanks" but we continued to talk to her and taught her about the Restoration. YOu could tell the spirit touched her and she was really listening to what we were saying. She was really confused about why we would need a prophet on the earth but she intently listened to our answers. She said "well now my faith is questioned and I really need to take this to the Lord", she said we could come back next week and check on how her study went. She also lives really close to the Bishop and knows his family. WOO HOO!

I love Elder Oaks talk about sacrafice and I am just soooooo incredibly grateful for these 18 months. When I was watching the MTC choir sing I was thinking about how badly I wish I was in there spot again. There is nothing better than serving a mission.

The stuff from BYU-I should be coming through email. I had it sent to kaylacollege@tippetts.org. So I hope you get it soon...it should have been sent? I havent been able to have much communication with Vanessa, I mean we are relying on snail mail here. Ha.

Also I was just thinking the other day (because I was wearing the dress you sent me for easter last year), that how awesome that dress is and I have worn it so much, so I wanted to make sure I said thank you again. so thanks!

Sorry this is short but weve got lots to do, but I love you lots and I hope you all have a great easter. He has risen! I know Christ lives, and I know He is our Savior. I know because of Him we will be able to live again, and we can beat spiritual death. We can, through the atonement of Jesus Christ that he so loving did, we can repent and be washed in His blood. I love Him and I am so grateful for my knowledge of his great sacrifice and His gospel which allows to tap in to that sacrifice.


HERMANA TIPPETTS.