I Triple Dog Dare Ya

Dear Family and Friends,

Wow, I can´t believe that William is not born yet! That´s crazy! Wow and 9.5 pounds, that´s so fun and exciting! I hope that all goes well for Jade and Trevor.

 Nathan and Trevor good luck studying for the GRE, that sounds like it´s a big test! I hope all goes well.

Todd, I hope marching band is going well! It´s hard work, and you have to do a lot of push ups, but I bet you´re doing so well. I hope that Band Camp goes well. It´s so fun!!!! Are you with Colton Hines as well?

Mom and Kimmy, I´m so impressed with making jam and applesauce, This morning we had pancakes for breakfast, and I wish I had some of that jam to go with them. But actually they were amazing anyway....I think they put a lot of sugar in them....but hey, I´m not complaining. They´re way yummy!

I hope that reading the Book of Mormon is still going well, since everyone is pretty busy. This week we talked a lot about the importance of reading the Book of Mormon. There are a bajillion reasons that we should. I was trying to take notes, but there were so many blessings I couldn´t even get it all down. I think that everyone should reread President Gordon B. Hinckley’s conference address about reading the Book of Mormon. And then do it.  I triple-dog-dare you to!  Haha, anyway here are some of the blessings I wrote down about reading the Book of Mormon:

-Nearer to God

-Teaches Truth

-Testimony of Christ

-Power in Book, into our lives

-Resist temptation

-Power to avoid temptation

-Power to stay on the straight and narrow

-Will find life in greater and greater abundance

-Calm an agitated soul

-Bring peace, hope, a restoration of confidence to overcome challenges

-Unlock revelation

-Holy Ghost invites

Heal emotional challenges

-Excel physical healing

-Speaks to your heart

-Love in families

Opportunities to observe, learn and teach family (from discussion and reading)

-Know how we're doing and how to do better

Will change your life for the better

Will lift, guide, and embolden you

 This week has been really good! I can´t believe how fast it has gone! I´m actually past halfway until out in the mission field. Which is crazy! Yesterday Hermana Johnson and I decided to only speak Spanish the whole day, not a word of English. We told our district if they would,  that we would go buy them cookies. We made it about to lunch time, It´s is pretty hard. I feel that in Spanish I have to pick my words so carefully, because I don´t have very many. It´s kind of like a game though, you have to figure out ways to say stuff using other words, rather than the direct word. If that makes sense.....

We´ve been singing Himnos 88, Placenteros Nos Es Trababjar. I like to think of Grandma and Grandpa Briscoe every time we sing it. It´s a fun song!

This week all the Hermana Sisters sang, Because I have been Given Much, (in Spanish of course). But we all sang it at a devotional. It was so fun! But while we were practicing, a man came up to me and said that he was in Uncle Jeff and Aunt Daryl´s (The Thornton’s ward) and he was just saying hi from them. It was so fun! Thanks for thinking of me!

I´m trying to think what else we´ve done this week… A lot of teaching. But it is so good! Last night we also talked about why people need to go to church to really receive conversion. There are a million good reasons to go to church, but the reason we all need to go to church is to take the sacrament. It was a good reminder.

So, it´s crazy! The CCM is filling up with so many people. You won´t believe how many missionaries there are. Gym time is crazy, there are so many people. They said that the numbers are supposed to double though....I´m not quite sure how they´re going to do that!! It´ll be interesting.

My companion, Hermana Johnsen it always so thoughtful. The other day she gave a note and some Oreos to one of the lunch ladies. She is always so kind, and thinking of others. It was so nice!!

Do you think that you could get me Jennie´s address and Annalise’s address. I´m not quite sure if I should email them or write them. But I´d like to have their mission home addresses just in case. I hope that they are doing well! Jennie (Sister Moon) is already out in the field. That is so exciting!! The other day I was sitting there thinking about her out there, preaching the gospel. I´m one hundred and ten percent sure that she is one of the best missionaries in Georgia!!

I picked out a scripture for each person in the family. I just thought you´d like them!!

Dad: 2 Timothy 4:7

Mom: Isaiah 53: 4-5

Nathan, Kristie and Addie: Luke 22: 31-32

Trevor, Jade, and William: Genesis 1:27

Katie, Mike, and Samuel: (Also, I really love the way they say Samuel here, it´s awesome!)       2 Nephi 32:8-9

Todd: Alma 31:5 (My new favorite scripture of the week)

Kimberly: Alma 37: 35-37

Friends and Family: Last two paragraphs of the Introduction to the Book of Mormon

I hope that all is going well! Things here are going great! It´s hard, but totally worth it!!

Love,

Hermana Israelsen