Monday May 6, 2013

Hi Dad,

Thank you for the update with Spencer and deployment. Fill me in on the details of what it means to be deployed . . . and just how dangerous or not it will be and such. 

Now about your Questions concerning Chinese: there are four different tones, rising, falling, flat, and a falling-rising one. (As I ppost this letter Duke is on the couch practicing the various tones as he thinks they should sound.  Hard on the ears...) And although tones are difficult . . .  I'm just grateful I'm not learning Cantonese, which has 7 tones! So most Chinese words are made up of two smaller words, and each of those smaller words has a tone and a meaning. So the two meanings put together make the meaning of the overall word, which is one thing I love about Chinese! It's so fun to put together the meanings! So each mini-word with a tone has a different meaning, and sometimes the same mini-word with the same tone can have multiple meanings, because it will be a different character. We have not learned any characters yet . . . which I'm kind of glad for because it would be so hard, but I think the way meanings and characters work together to create words is pretty cool too, so maybe someday I'll go back and study it. Mom-yay for the Cotswold walk! (Note to dad and his new definition of "mom-yay" :))

Ah that's exciting that Lizzi could visit Utah! Emma is already flying, at just two months old!  Tell Jeff and Lizzi hi for me! How are they doing? How is Emma? Is Michigan warming up at all? That is so fun that Dave, Patti, and the kids are coming in a couple of weeks!! Ah . . . . I wish I could be there!! 

 Thank you for your thoughts on humility mom--I really appreciated them. I think you're right. Especially, for me, it is hard listening and learning from certain people that I don't want to  . . . but true humility means listening to, caring about, and loving EVERYone. And gratitude is a big part--I thought it was funny that you mentioned those, or ironic rather, because I have written down (from a talk or from reading something) that gratitude and humility are the twin characteristics of happiness. And thank you for your testimony of the restoration. There is a spirit in teaching the restoration. I'm definitely still learning.

Thanks for your letter Dave! And thank you for the package Dave and Patti!! I have to say, I laughed when I pulled out the four giant marshmallows. But . . . I have to admit that I've just about eaten all of them and I really enjoyed them at that! Tell Sam that the pictures he's drawn me are hanging up in my room! And both he and Thomas have pictures up by my desk. Are they excited to being coming to Utah in a few weeks? Are you excited? How is the studying for the test? How's the paper? Do you have to prepare separate things for the conference in Park City too? Good luck I love you.

Mom, so I've been the Sister Training Leader for the past few weeks, and one of the sisters I'm over has a birthday on the 12th. I'm wondering if you could send any sort of little birthday decorations we could put on their door or something? Or maybe some homemade rice crispie treats or something? Or even just a package of balloons I could blow up would be perfect actually. I don't think there's anything I need for my birthday . . . thank you though! Happy Mother's Day!!! Next Sunday. I hope you got my very early card :)

So I had an exciting package from my roommates SJ and Katie this week . . . It was a puzzle. A BUNCH of wallpaper samples were sent with a letter on the back of some of them. (All the use we have gotten out of those wallpaper samples. I don't think I will ever look at wallpaper sample the same way again) on the front were numbers that coordinated with rows and places in the rows in which to order the wallpaper samples. When they were all in order, I flipped them over and was informed that my roommate, Sarah Jane Curtis, is ENGAGED! I about died. I've been hearing about this boy for two years . . . and I could not have been happier to have the happy ending! SJ, I will be writing you a letter, but I might not be able today, so if not, CONGRATULATIONS! I know it's pretty late now . . . but I'm so excited for you!!

Also, roommate Emily . . . I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT JERU! So . . . write me a quick dearelder and let me know how it has been coming home and what you are up to!

Also, roommate Chloe . . . ARE YOUR MISSION PAPERS IN???? I'm sorry for posting such a question publically . . . but I simple have to know. :)

Also, roommate Katie . . . you will never guess what they had for breakfast today. Yep, you guessed it. Scooooooonnnnnneeeessssss! I just about died.

Ok . . . I always have so many things to ask and answer and say that I usually forget several, and today I forgot to bring my planner with me, so I don't have the ones that I wrote down to share! So I'm sorry if I forgot something. This week has been good! Every week is good. Now I really understand what people mean when they say days are FOREVER long and weeks FLY by. The contrast is quite amazing! Saturday was half way through the MTC . . . and I'm excited! Nervous, because I still have SOOO much to learn, and there's no way I'll be prepared to leave when I go . . . but at the same time, I'm SO excited to go to Taiwan!! There is a group leaving tomorrow morning, after which our generation will be the oldest. Strange.

My goal this week is to have an eye single to the glory of God, to forget myself, my life, my before mission life, things-going-on-to-other-people-while-I'm-gone, and my life after mission. My goal is to be focused on the Lord’s work and on His children. So if you have an extra prayer or two . . . I might need it! It's hard to not get distracted sometimes. Also, I need more charity. And lots of other things!  But that is good enough for now :)

I love you so much!!!! What do you want to hear in my letters? I can't promise to be able to send much more than I already do, but what things are your favorites to hear so I can include more of those things and cut out other things.

Love Sister Edwards

All the sister in my generation.  See if you can figure out which are my 2 companions then my mom will send you rice crispy crunchies:).