to all the Cheerleaders

i want to dedicate this letter to all the cheerleaders in my life :3 ha.. im gonna be a cheeze ball today but i had a cool thought that im going to tell you about so just bear with me

giving someone support is an interesting thing. cause i dont really understand HOW it works i just know it does. i dont know HOW all the prayer and love and support from you all lifts me up so much, i just know it does
i dont know HOW heavenly father is able to bear us up, to lift us higher, to change our very natures... i know its through the ATONEMENT, i just know He does.

i was thinking about all of you. EVERYONE THAT SUPPORTS ME AND LIFTS ME HIGHER. for once i was thinking about all of you and not aching to see you again but just out of gratitude. and i thought about all the people HERE. the leaders and people here. president and sister manion, my sweet companions.... all of you and them have CHANGED ME SOMEHOW. and i dont really understand HOW that works... like what you all did to change me...you have prayed for me, i can feel them. you have loved me.. and I LOVE YOU :)

i thought about when i was in cross country, and all the cheerleaders our team had. all our parents and friends. i thought about how mom you came to almost every race, and dad you did to! you never could take away the discomfort i felt in the race, or make me run faster, but being able to look into your faces and seeing the pure BELIEF you had in me.. .and knowing i could do it, helped me believe that i could do it to.
thank you for believing in me.

and then i thought about Christ. how much he believes in us. how much he supports us. and i thought its so cool, cause i think that in the moment he laid it all on the line, when he was in that garden, we all watched. he had to feel alone... but i think all of us were hoping praying believing willing him on. and i love thinking that the way we live our lives now, is still showing our support for HIM, our COMPLETE BELIEF in HIM. because he DID DO IT. HE WON. HE CONQUERED DEATH. SIN. DESPAIR. FATIGUE. DEPRESSION. EVERYTHING. HE WON.

thank you for believing in HIM. and helping me to do the same :)

sooooo this week :)

it was pretty good. we had a TON of lessons fall through which was such a bummer but we still worked really hard and got alot done and saw alot of miracles.
some highlights:

-doing zombie makeup for carrie and marylou and kids

-teaching gina about prayer, and then her really praying

-helping kathy and kaylie can tomatoes, and them asking us LOADS of questions :)

-building a shed with paulette

-reading the book of mormon with denise

-meeting zachary, 10 year old down-syndrome boy, and making a new best friend :)

-having supper with the millers and laughing my head off

-getting the cops called on us cause they thought we were vandalizing the church.. OL

-teaching peggy and charlie.. ok not teaching cause I DONT SPEAK MANDARIN... but listening and seeing the gift of tongues literally.. for anyone that reads that dont think we speak in tongues as in a creepy way hahaha... two elders just taught a whole lesson in mandarin and they only studied it for 10 weeks.... so that was pretty cool. PEGGY AND CHARLIE AND OFFICIALLY INVESTIGATING AND READING THE BOOK OF MORMON :)

-supper with the currys.. i sure love them.

-tracting into marsha... who let us in despite being uninterested at first... and then watching the spirit change her mind and heart.

even tho we werent able to meet with EVERYONE we wanted to this week.... we were led to specific people this week and able to make a difference.

both sister boyd and i have been struggling and fighting to feel happy all the time.. which was usually a gift that came easy and naturally to both of us.. i dont know if its the weather hormones or the cold that we both have but man grumpiness and just feeling down in the dumps can nip you in the butt sometimes... but we found a cure...

HYMNS!!

you literally cannot sing some of those inspired tunes and feel sad.
you just cant :)

you guys i really know this church is true.

i know that Jesus is the Christ. i KNOW he loves us. and that love makes a DIFFERENCE. i know that through the atonement of christ ALL MANKIND MAY BE SAVED BY OBEDIENCE TO THE LAWS AND ORDINANCES OF THE GOSPEL.

i know he lives. he loves. he saves.

i love you!
love sister douglas