July 13, 2012

Dear Family,

It's only been a few days, but it's been a crazy few days. I'll tell you about it in a second. Thanks for the email dad! I love having updates. I indeed did get to talk to mom on Wednesday. Mom, sorry it wasn't long and I had to leave really fast. I felt bad, but I am really happy that I got to hear your voice! Dad, your golfing at the Hill place sounds awesome! I bet you loved that. The Family Ball is this weekend!? Dang.... you guys are going to miss my sweet dancing moves aren't you? Haha. Please take pictures for me! I want to see what everyone looked like and how the decorations were. Tell Mason HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! He is so cute. Dad, I will definitely be calling your cell phone on Tuesday morning when we have time at the airport. On to the past couple days...

Tuesday night we had an awesome devotional from an Emeritus Seventy. His name was Robert Steuer and he spoke about obstacles in missionaries lives and also how it is so important that we have a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon. He also talked about excuses and gave a quote by Spencer W. Kimball which is, "Any excuse, no matter how valid, weakens the character." I loved it! My new goal is to not have any excuses. Wednesday morning we got to go to Temple Square and we got taken on a tour by the sister missionaries. After some guys from the missionary department came and talked to us, aka Rus :) It was so good to see him again and he did such a wonderful job at getting us all pumped! After all the sisters told me I had such a cool brother and I was like duh!! Haha just kidding I didn't really say that, but I did agree with them. Rus you are way cool! The past couple days have just been busy with visitor center training... it's mostly just making me ready to get out there and have experiences!

Unfortunately I have been sick the past couple days. I have had a sore throat, headache, stuffy nose, body aches, all that fun stuff. I have almost already used all my cold eze so mom, I am definitely going to need some more of those when I get to California. I am feeling much better today and hope that I keep going up so I will be all the way better really soon. I get to see lots of familiar people all the time and it's great. Those who have recently entered the MTC and I have seen are Elder Paul Johnson (Mark's brother), Sister Brittni Ward (my friend from forever ago and she lived in our ward and her mom was Michelle? Remember her?), Sister Preslee Clawson (she is in the stake), and some other people I can't remember right now. I see Elder Nick Jesperson all the time and I LOVE IT!! I love that kid and I love having family here. I told him to say hi to anyone he sees at the wedding today. Also, how was the wedding?? I want pictures of that too!!

Lastly, the past couple days have also been crazy because they have been trying to figure out what to do for my companions situation. I told you guys in the last email that she has epilepsy and she had a seizure and apparently you have to go 6 months without having a seizure in order to be on a mission. She talked to a lot of different people pleading to stay because she really wants to be here and feels like this is where she is supposed to be, but this morning she had her last meeting and they said she had to go home :( That was at like 9:30 and she just left to go to the airport about 40 min ago. I am really sad and I am going to miss her so much. She has helped me so much and I am very, very grateful that Heavenly Father had us be companions. She is awesome and such a strong woman. She was being so positive as she left and saying that everything happens for a reason, so this is all part of the plan and she is just going to trust Heavenly Father. She has been such an influence on me and I am glad that we got at least 3.5 weeks together. Yesterday we got our pioneer dresses finalized, so today Sister Kunz, Sister Madsen, Sister Riggs, and I put on our dresses and took pictures with Sister Kunz so she could have some in her pioneer dress. Ah man, I am going to miss that girl.

Tomorrow we go to Temple Square again. This time I think we actually get a companion from Temple Square and we go around with them and actually get to teach real people! I am nervous, but so excited! I can't believe I leave on Tuesday. I think I say that in every email, but it's getting so close! I am reallllyyyyyyyy excited! Everyone better dance like crazy tomorrow night! And do my club can't handle me dance :)

I love you all so much!

Love, Sister Rasmussen

P.S. Have any of you read the talk "His Grace is Sufficient," from Brad Wilcox? If not, you should read it. It's really good! Oh also, mom I am sending a box home with Jake Robison on Monday. He'll probably bring it by a little after 9PM. If not, then Tuesday sometime.