EASTER!!!

Dear Family and Friends!

Easter is was WONDERFUL at the MTC.  It was fast Sunday though so all the Candy and treats we got, we couldn't eat until that night, but it was still so great! Also thank you so much for the Package! I loved it! I never realized how exciting it is for missionaries to get mail, until I am here, and mail time is such an exciting time!  Anyway for easter the presiding Bishop, Bishop Cause came and we had a Sacarment Meeting with all the missionaries at the MTC-that is over 3000!!!!! So incredible, something that I will never forget! Bishop Cause spoke about the Atonement and it was such a good reminder of our purpose as missionaries.  We are the Church of Jesus Christ and we are here to invite others to come unto Christ. He explained that the Atonement is the least understood thing in our church, and said that every transformation in our life, every time we change anything, it is by the atonement.  After Sacarment meeting, we had district meeting and fast and testimony meeting (just testimony meeting, because we took the Sacarment in the morning with everyone!) It is nice to be able to understand more when people talk in Tagalog and I was really exciting that I could understand most of what people said in their testimonies! Can you believe that in 3 weeks, it is a miracle! After testimony meeting we walked to the temple, it was such a nice day and we took pictures I sent one to you, I hope you got it! After dinner we had a fireside with Sister Sheri Dew and that was wonderful too!

Speaking of Tagalog, it's coming, slowly.. I still feel like though that I will never feel ready, I just have to keep working hard and learning words.  Our teachers challenged us to use Tagalog for  everything, dinner, talking to our district, with our companions. It helps and it helps us make our lessons run smoother.  There is still so much to learn... and not too much time, we get our travel plans NEXT Thursday! That's so crazy, I feel like that is when it will finally set in.  Maybe I am just getting a little excited, but the time goes so fast! The days are long, but the weeks fly by!

We are continuing to teach lessons to our 'investigators' (our teachers).  We are getting more comfortable teaching without notes. I don't know if our sentences make any sense, but they seem to understand.  Learning a language has taught me that even when we can't say anything  the spirit's language is universal!

-Sister Richins