breakthroughs

Dear Family,
 
Good Morning! I still have 5 more minutes of today that I can say
that. This morning we went to the temple. It was great! I love the
temple. There was also a group of missionaries from the Utica mission
there because they were all going home next week, and it made me
realize how fast time flies and how much work there is to do! I've
been thinking about Cassie getting home next week - wow. I can't
believe it! Tell her I love her and am so proud of her and don't
expect a letter from her, because I wrote her only like 3 times her
whole mission...
 
This week I breathed in so much cat hair that I am not sure my lungs
will ever be the same. But thanks to the miracle of medicine, they are
slowly getting better. I do however feel bad for the tour I took at
the smith farm right after I had the asthma attack and took my
inhalers, because it consisted of slurred words, and completely
forgetting what happened in the frame home, and then searching for the
word 'loft' for a minute. Unfortunately they had to have me take them
on tour at the Whitmer farm a different day as well, and I'm sure they
were less than thrilled when they saw it was me. Especially since one
of them men is the editor for the Joseph Smith Papers project and knew
300% more about these places than I did even when my mind was dizzy
from drugs and lack of oxygen. :)
 
I don't remember how much I told you about a woman in the ward who
left the church about a month and a half ago. I think I mentioned it,
because it was a pretty devastating experience. Well there was a
miracle this week. She called us and asked us to come help her pack
her stuff to move {we've seen her a few times the last month} so when
we went over she started crying and telling us things she had done
since she left and how she wanted to come back, because she knew it
was wrong. Her doctor also told her she had to stop going to the
church she is currently going to, because it made her out of control.
She cried and cried and said she didn't think she could ever come back
to the LDS church because she made too many mistakes. We were able to
read Moroni 6:8 with her and the spirit was so strong teaching that
she could repent and return and feel the spirit again. It was a huge
miracle to see her heart softened so she could be teachable again. She
came to church on Sunday and it was really good.
 
I also had a neat experience when 2 women came into the Book of Mormon
Publication site. They were very grumpy and a little rude when they
first came in, because they had good reason: they had been stranded in
Rochester for 2 weeks because their car broke down and they had just
sent their son/brother to Afghanistan. It was neat to see the spirit
comfort them as we went through the tour there and see that it was a
needed break. When they left the were smiling and gave me a hug. I
love that even though it is a site about how the Book Of Mormon was
first printed, it can soothe anyone when they let the spirit calm
them.
 
Zone conference was awesome. We had 45 minutes to sit in the grove and
do what we wanted, so I decided to list things in my life that had
been effected by what happened here. The list was very long and could
have kept going. Pretty much not a single thing in my life hasn't been
effected by what happened here. That is a neat thing to realize. Elder
Duncan of the 70 also spoke to us about less active work, and I felt
grateful for all the opportunities I have had to work with those
wonderful people on my mission. That is what the majority of my
mission work has been, and I love them.
 
The weather got hot! but it is fun! Happy summer! I love you!
love,
Sister L