"It was really hard, but I did it anyway!"

Hello from the land of Ricky Bobby!  The flags are up at the Talladaga Super Speedway! (:

Things are going great here!  I love Talladega so much, and it is finally starting to cool down!  I think fall is here and I couldn't be more excited about that!

I learned something new this week about Nascar (let's be real, I don't know anything about Nascar, so everyday I am learning something new)! This week they put up all of the big flags at the race track, and everyone symbolizes something different. They put up all of these flags to sort of show to everyone that it is race time in a few weeks. To me the flags basically mean, get ready, be prepared, and work hard because its show time! That really can be applied to missionary work. When we put on that tag every morning we are, in a sense, putting our flags up. We are showing the world whose team we are on, and that we are ready for the races! My flags are up this week, and they are waving high!

This can be applied to of y'all too!  What do you think that it means to put your flags up?  I think that you can put your flags up by preparing every day to share the gospel.  That all starts with simply studying your scriptures.  I know that as we are prepared to share the gospel that the Lord will put opportunities in our paths. 

I have a new companion!  Sister Conant from California and Washington - california is home, but her family now lives in Washington.  She is awesome! She laughs just like Linsey, and I love it!  If I close my eyes when she is talking I could be fooled and think that it is Linsey.  It is kind of funny. (:  We also seem to have a lot in common, and people tell us all of the time that we look like sisters.  (sadly, we haven't taken any pictures together... but we will take some this week!)

On friday we were biking passed this house, and I could see that there was a young mom and her two young kids trying to set up their tramp.  The awkward part was that they were in the back yard.  We went forward faithfully and awkwardly though!  We offered to help, and she gratefully accepted!  Turns out that they just moved into that house, and they were really struggling to get it set up.  (Imagine a 5 and 6 year old kid who are super hyper/excited to jump on the tramp 'helping' their mom set it up)  It felt SO good to help them!  And it wasn't even as awkward as i thought it would be.  She was also open to us teaching her, so Saturday we went back and had a lesson.  It was rushed, and sort of hectic.  But even in that lesson, I felt the Spirit so strong, and I know that she did as well!  I think that my favorite part is that her 5 year old son kept saying, "You know you're my sister!" He is exactly right!  I am grateful to know that we are all children of God.

I look forward SO MUCH to hearing about your mission call Curtis!!! Keep me in the loop. (:

I am grateful that y'all are doing well.  I love you BIG time!

Sister Casperson