"...the love of work is success."

Hello y'all!  It has been a beautiful summer like week here in Alabama!  Here they call it spring, but in my book 80's is summer!  It was a wonderful week!  I have really gotten the hang of biking longish distances everyday!  Usually my legs feel like jello at the end of the day, but that is okay!

I am glad to hear that y'all have had a good week!  I keep y'all in my prayers everyday. Remember that there is a missionary in Alabama that LOVES YOU!

I have learned a lot this week!  We have really been searching for new investigators, and one of the goals that President Hanks has encouraged us to do is to contact 10 unplanned people every day.  That is like people on the street and in stores.  It has been really hard! This week he sort of changed the definition to 10 unplanned invitations.  So everyday we have to invite 10 people to learn about the gospel.  This is outside of tracting - it is HARD! It is something that we all should have been doing all along, but it is really hard to be bold. Missionaries are human too, and we get scared to ask people if we can come into their home and teach them.  That is a really scary thing to do!  But with the encouragment to really hasten the work, we went and did it!  Guess what?  IT WORKS!  Friday when we were biking, frankly we looked like a hot mess, and we passed this man getting home from work. He looked at us really confused and said, "What are you doing?"  Luckily for me, when we already look crazy riding bikes in skirts and sweating like crazy there is not much to lose, so we went forth with faith and we were BOLD! We explained to him what we were doing, and invited him to let us come and teach him.  Turns out that his family is really anti, but we testified to him and he accepted our invitation!!  Yes, it won't always be like that, but I learned then that boldness is the best. Go out and invite!

New favorite quote:

"Let us remember that the privilege to work is a gift, that the power to work is a blessing, that the love of work is success." -President David O. Mckay

Thursday was the first really sunny day, and biking in the sun really wore us out!  We got home at 8:50 pm from and appointment and we aren't supposed to go inside until 9 pm.  We semi grudgingly went and contacted for 10 minutes, and nothing happened. We were exactly obedient though, and I know that that is the most important thing.

Here is the cool part of the story: Yesterday we were dropped off for our dinner appointment about 20 mins early, so we decided to tract a bit.  THE MIRACLE CAME!  The first family that we talked to was so prepared!   They just moved to the area and had been church hopping, trying to find the right one.  We briefly taught and testified of the Restoration and they agreed that there are prophets today.  She looked at us and said, "That makes so much sense.  I really want to learn more."  They are so prepared!  And all 4 of them are baptism age!! I am sure that we were blessed to meet that sweet family because of our exact obedience.  I know that obedience brings blessings.  Heavenly Father promises that He will bless us if we will just obey.  I know that obedience means keeping the commandments, but obedience also means repenting when we mess up.  He knows that we are going to mess up, and He sent His Son for us.

I am eternally grateful for that.  Be obedient and repent.  That is the way to happiness.

It is because of Christ's Atonement that we can repent and live again as perfect immortal beings.  That is what Easter is all about.  This week I am going to be studying all about the last week of Christ's life.  Will you do it with me.  I have a good idea.  Every time that you sit down at the computer this week watch this video, http://easter.mormon.org/ 

Let me know what you study!  I know that Jesus Christ lives!

I love y'all BIG time!

Sister Casperson

PS.  Give someone hope this Easter season. Share the gospel!