Post- Mother's Day email

We got to Skype with Sister Rowland yesterday!! She is doing really good!  We were able to meet the Bishop of the ward she is serving in and her companion.   I think she has been placed with some wonderful, caring people and this week's email is proof!! Because of the Skype, her email is short.  I wanted to add that they have another brother committed to baptism and a date is set for June 1.  Due to health issues, they are concerned that it may get postponed.  So please pray that this brother's health will improve enough that he can have his baptism.  They also have another young family that is close.... Our email today was a little more personal and tender, but Kaitlin said it was the one to share.   

Love you all and thanks for all of the support you give to Kaitlin and our family!
Chrystal 

Hey Family!

 

I honestly don't have much else to say... I am super excited that you guys have been doing the Sacred Grove challenge and that other people are doing it too! Keep doing it:) and don't get lazy with it! It's incredible. And I am glad y'all have been reading the Book of Mormon!

 

It really was so good to see you guys, and to see that everything is still normal and how i left it. I dont know what i was expecting.. but i expected something to be different or off but it wasn't! I'm glad you liked your mothers day present! I'm wearing the earrings today, they are super cute:) Have fun at the running with angels 5K! Take lots of pictures:) we got to volunteer at a 5K called Miles for Moffit. Its for cancer research and there were over 7500 participants and they raised over half a million dollars! how incredible is that? I've never seen so many people at a 5K before:)

 

Oh and yesterday after the call, I walked out into the living room where the bishop was with his wife and kids and and i just broke into tears! Bishop jumped up and embraced me in the warmest dad hug i've had since being on a mission (i dont know if thats allowed, but i needed it:p). I just cried into his shoulder and got mascara all over his white shirt. He kissed my head and told me that my parents were proud of me and that I was where I needed to be. It was a nice experience, and I thought of dads comment that he wanted to reach through the screen and give me a big hug, and he kinda did through the bishop:) i just wanted to share that!

 

Honestly this past week working up to phone calls has been rough and i have been super homesick and trying to think of any excuse i could to go home. Any little pain, i would secretly hope was a major medical problem. I was even trying to think of someone i could go home and marry just so that i would have a worthy excuse to go home! nothing came:) i prayed and prayed and asked heavenly father if he would still love me if i went home, and i felt so strongly that he would. then i prayed and asked if i should go home, and it was a definite no.

 

Sometimes its hard to give up your will and do gods will, but you just have to do it. and do it with a smile on your face because you are doing it to show that you love god and trust him. We dont always have to love what he has asked us to do, we dont even have to want to do it! Think of the Savior, he knew his purpose in life when he said "to this end was i born". Yet in the garden he still asked if there was any other way. HE DIDNT WANT TO DO IT... but he did it anyway. And sometimes thats what we need to do!

 

I know that being a missionary will bless my life in so many ways and bless my family in so many ways,now and in the future, i cant even imagine. and i do know that i am where i need to be. and i will stay here, because thats what my heavenly father wants me to do, and he knows best:) I love you all so much! And i miss you like nothing else! words cant even express how much i love and miss you! and i am so grateful for the support i get from you guys:) I love you! and I pray for you everyday, multiple times a day! And i know that I will see you soon :)

 

love always and forever, Sister Rowland