"Once you accept Christ and become a believer, then the war starts." -Johnathon

Good Morning from the South!

We had a wild snowy week, but it was fun!  We played a little bit in the snow.  Really we were trying to clear the snow off of our driveway so it wouldn't freeze, but no one in Alabama owns a shovel.  So we used brooms!  It was fun because we found out that by sweeping the snow it would stick together enough to make a snowball, so we played some baseball (with the brooms as our bats!)  It was fun, and it made some people stop and stare when they were walking past to go to walmart. (No one was prepared for that weather..)

Even though the snow caused a little bit of a hurdle in our plans for the week, it was still great!  We met this girl from Georgia and she was so excited to see Mormons!  She was really good friends with lots of mormons in high school, and she has read the whole Book of Mormon!  It was really cool to meet her, and the whole time she was talking about her friend who is on a mission now.  He was the one who introduced her to Mormons.  He invited her to church.  He asked her to read the Book of Mormon.  And she said that he would invite ALL of their group of friends!  Whoever this guy is, he is the BEST member missionary around!  That experience made me think about how much of an influence WE have on the people around us.  And how easy it is to invite someone, maybe they will say no, but maybe they will say yes.  How can you pass up the possibility that they will say yes?  I know one thing, it really isn't that easy, but it does get easier with practice!  Try it! Carry a Book of Mormon around.  Be a member missionary!

Friday night there was a devotional just for the South.  Elder L. Tom Perry was there, and it was amazing!  It was a 2 hour training on how to work in a ward council.  I know that it was just for the south, but if you can find it online, watch it!  It really made me think about things.  Heavenly Father truly has "hastened the work."  The time is now!  Remember the vision of the South.  Things are happening here.  I love the South.

This week I have learned a lot.  I am still trying to learn a lot.  One of the things that I have realized this week is that things are hard, FOR EVERYONE.  It is a fact of life that we will experience pain and bitterness.  It is part of His plan for us.  We go through hard times, and it is no good.  BUT Christ is the way. 

I don't remember the exact quote, or who said it, but it went something like this. 
              All things that are bad about life can be made right                                              through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

That is a fact.  

Yes things are hard.  Yes things will continue to be hard. We are in a war, and we have to keep fighting even when times get hard.

I have a favorite equation.  I'm sure that you remember it, I use it all of the time.  I have decided to edit it a little bit though to make it more correct.

                          Obedience = Eternal Happiness

Things are good here though!  I am glad that y'all are well!  We have been so blessed to find our B.I.E! (best investigator ever)  Well technically she found us - 15 year old, referred herself on mormon.org, getting baptizednext saturday.

The church is true.

I love missionary work.

Love y'all BIG time!!

Sister Casperson