The Road To Alabama: Back Home. (:

Hey there family! It is so good to be back in Clanton! Thank you all for your love and prayers and letters. I so so love them! (: This week has been so great! LOTS of excitement! First off, I LOVE all of the pictures of baby Archer and Londyn. Squeeze them for me! I love all of the pictures of ya'll. It looks like you are having to much fun! I hope you ate a tiger ear for me - Sister Taylor wrote me and told me about the fair. Enjoy it for me! (:

It was so great to be in Wetumpka! I was able to meet lots of great people, and it is amazing how fast I loved them. It was instant! The people there are amazing! One of the members there was in 17 miracles. She is so amazing! Her and her husband are really the reason that Wetumpka has grown into a ward. It was great to meet them! I really came to love my two companions so much! It was hard to leave them, BUT Wednesday was the BIG day! 37 new missionaries got to Alabama, and it was pretty even between sisters and elders. That means 37 trainers and a lot of change within the mission. There was 80% of the entire mission in one chapel. IT WAS FULL! (probably about 200 missionaries). The opening song was Called to Serve (which is a pretty popular song..haha) The elder that was playing the piano was SO talented, and we all started singing. It was beautiful. It is amazing what music can do. At the end of the first verse I looked up at President Hanks. He was having a hard time singing. A few seconds later he stood, and instantly we ALL stood up. It was amazing. Probably one of the coolest experiences I have had. The spirit was so strong!

President told all of the trainers something pretty obvious. You are a trainer. Train. Always be teaching, always be helping, always be encouraging. That is how it is with a lot of things. We are representatives of Jesus Christ. We are all teachers. Most often we teach through our actions, and that is the best way to teach. We need to be showing those around us what we believe through our actions. Alma 39:11 - NEVER let that happen! Remember that people are watching you and looking to you as an example. "Be thou and example of the believers.."

There were a lot of new areas opened up with all of the new missionaries. President said that we must all have the attitude of Nephi, "I will go, I will DO!" (and I imagine Mac singing that song every time!) That is really the purpose though. GOandDO. Just do it (with a nike symbol). Not matter what you are called to do, no matter the trial, no matter the challenge, just go and do. You can do hard things. The Lord always provides a way - it is a promise! Look up the efy song "Remember the Promise" It is so good. (: Sing it lots! And remember!

My new companion is Sister Platt. She was raised in Carlsbad, CA, but her parents just moved to Arizona. She just turned 19 in July. (That makes me feel old....I am supposed to be the youngest... haha) She is super sweet, and super excited to do the work!

I really am so blessed to be in Clanton again! It is not super common to be in an area this long, and the people are now telling me "You have been here longer than any of them." It is true! I am so happy to be here! This is like my second home. People keep saying, "It is so good to have you back home." I feel very appreciated. (: I love the people here!

We had the coolest experience! Because of a few strange events we were running behind schedule. We walked out of our house and met this sweet women. We offered to serve her and she said no thank you. Next time we saw her she was asking us who we are (We are different and people want to know why - Tell them!) We started talking to her, and at first she did not seem interested at all! But we started to talk with her, and get to know her, and she really opened up to us. She started asking us questions and we told her about the book of Mormon. She was so excited to go and check one out from the library (haha) We then gave her one, and she was excited to read it! Unfortunately, she lives out of our area, but we send missionaries to her house, and I am so excited to see how everything goes with her!

This week we get to go to the temple, and I am so excited! I hope that ya'll are going to the temple often. Are you have FHE? I would encourage you to do it as often as you can, and have the boys teach. They will appreciate the practice!

I have come to realize a lot of things, but I think that most important is to remember how blessed you are. We are blessed to have a functioning family. We are blessed with health, work, family, beautiful home, and lots of stuff! We are so blessed! I have realized that. Lots of people have hard lives, and we are blessed. Remember that. Be happy, and be grateful! Love a lot and be happy.

God is merciful and loving.

2 Nephi 31:20 "...with a love of God AND all men..."

Be steadfast in Christ!

Sister Casperson