September 6, 2011

Hello everyone!

Glad to hear about the game; glad we won! I'm sure Jake will get it together before Saturday. He just needed some time to warm up. Maybe they're just trying to psych Texas out by making it LOOK like they're "afraid of crossing the goal line"???

We got to hear a little bit about it Sunday from a member of the branch we share our building with. He was talking to our ward mission leader about the game--what a perfect excuse to stop for a few minutes on our way to gospel principles....Our first counselor in our bishopric noticed we were all standing around and he came over to give us a hard time, but we just told him BYU football *is* an essential principle of the gospel....haha

Well...last week our highlight was going to the media training for the new mormon.org initiative in our area. Over the past year, they've been running internet ads and TV spots for mormon.org in 9 areas, and now they're opening 9 new marketplaces for the ads to run. We're going to be one of those! They talked all about the results from the ads in these first areas. They said 54% of all active, adult members were asked about the ads and 100% of the active youth were asked about them...but they hadn't done any training in those areas, so almost none of the members even knew what they were being asked about! Now they're really making a big push to get members aware of what's going to happen, get them familiar with mormon.org, and help show them what they can do to help. A big push is for members to create their own profiles on mormon.org. The missionaries all received training, as well as stake presidencies, bishoprics and ward mission leaders last week...in a few weeks we'll be doing the training for all the adults and youth in our ward during 2nd and 3rd hour. It's going to be really exciting! They talked a lot about how people that are introduced to the gospel through mormon.org and refer themselves to the missionaries to learn more from what they learn there are significantly more likely to be baptized...All I have to say for that is that Dustin referred himself, and he was definitely prepared for baptism! =)

Sister Taua and I are especially excited for this in our area. Hopefully people will see how this really is a good, easy way for them to help their friends learn more about the gospel and to eliminate misconceptions about the Church and they'll get excited for it.

So...that being said...We, the missionaries need to have our own profiles up as well! So could you email me a few of the close ups Sis. Larsen took that I can use for my profile? Thank you!

Another exciting thing...we got our copies of "Daughters in My Kingdom" on Sunday! Have you gotten yours yet? I've started reading it, and it's really interesting!

Yesterday was district p-day. We went out to Birch Bay in Blaine and went on a short hike to visit the "beach" (all rocks, no sand). The Elders were pretty amusing, as always...

What are you planning for the bathroom? Make sure to send me pictures of it when it's all done! =)

And...transfers are coming up on the 20th. We're feeling pretty sure that Sister Taua is going. =( We'll have three MORE sisters coming in...18 sisters! So exciting!

Elder Edwards of the Seventy is also visiting this week for another conference. We'll be divided up between the north and the south, so it won't be the WHOLE mission, but it should still be a really neat experience. Then stake conference is this next weekend for us. Woohoo!

Sister Taua and I both really appreciated your packages. The Elders were also all very jealous haha. Sister Taua really appreciates that you always think of her when you are sending me things =) I really appreciate the towels--I was thinking about buying a second towel, and now: no need!

Well....I think that's about everything. I'll try to get the phone number for Dr. Call this week...Thanks!

Love you!
Sister Heather Holdsworth