Note to Dad on July 28, 2014

Dear Dad,

It is great to hear from you! I am glad everyone is well. I am happy for Shane, Kirstan looks like a really cool girl. I just pray if things go well he can wait at least 6 months to "seal" the deal, I at least want to be there for that! haha Just a simple request from his favorite and ONLY sister. I am praying for Matt. I worry about him more than he knows. I really want to be able to go to the temple with him when I get back. I want to go every week before I go to school in the fall. I'll pray for mom's job and also for your work. You are awesome dad and I know you are working hard! Just pray like it all depends on the Lord and work like it all depends on you! 

   
Thank you so much for your note this week. I really appreciate the time YOU put into your emails. It is a blessing to me. I especially enjoyed your comments about the athletes who necessarily don't have the greatest talent but work hard and then they can see success. And often times more success than those who are naturally gifted. It reminds of a talk I read this week after I received our transfer news. So we all anticipated transfer calls to come Monday night, it came Tuesday morning during studies...Sister Galbraith was being transferred and I would stay in PoMo with a new companion who had never been a sister training leader and I would be senior companion, even though she's been out 15 months. I was a little stressed. I was feeling like my talent was not going to be good enough. 

   
So to try and ponder my new situation, I turned to the April 2014 General Conference Ensign. I read the talk, "Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease" by Elder Bednar. He starts out the talk describing a pick up truck that gets stuck in the snow. The driver is flooring it and the truck won;t move. He had been out to chop some firewood so he decided that instead of sitting there hopeless, he'd do what he had intended to do. SO he chops all this wood and puts it in the back of his pickup and due to the extra weight, he had the traction necessary to pull himself out of the snow. I started to ponder this. The Lord gave me this assignment because I just need a little more wood in my pickup truck. I need a little more weight to produce the spiritual traction necessary to propel me forward. I knew this is exactly what I needed. He also talked about how when this extra weight and traction comes we have the choice of letting the weight hold us down OR we can become equally yoked with Christ and be able to bear our burden's with Him. It is in that moment that we can start to spiritually progress. It is through Jesus Christ and accepting His Atonement in our lives that we can accomplish the task we've been given.

I am pretty overwhelmed because I cover 9 companionships of sisters that are in 3 zones and have to work with 3 very different sets of zone leaders. It's not an easy task and right now I have to help my companion learn what our assignment is all about. I have to be equally yoked with Christ so that I can do all He requires of me. And Just like the athlete, we have a choice! We choose to work hard! we choose to see success and it's all about being agents who ACT not agents who are acted upon! 

   
I love you! I miss you! I love being a missionary! And I hope you have a great birthday on Saturday!!!!

Love, Sister Emily Dahl

Birthday Breakfast at IHOP with Sister Galbraith

Note from July 28, 2014

Hey mom! 

Sounds like you're life is about to get crazy again. Dad told me about you going back to work at the school. I will pray for you. I know this will be a good thing and you will be able to bless those you work with. You have the spirit with you and it will help you know what to do. Also, thank you so much for the shoes! I loved them :) I wore a pair to transfer meeting and looked great! :) THANK YOU!!! Seriously, you're the best! I am not sure where you found that red and orange skirt but i am glad you sent it. It's actually a great missionary skirt! I will have to wear it and send pics. I LOVED all the announcements! That was so great to see them all. Meagan and Jensen's was so cute. I am happy they are finally getting married. and that it is in the temple. Also, what is madelyn's plan? Is she going up to utah too? take pictures at all these weddings! I want to see meagan's dress! I am not too worried about Shane. I just hope he is happy. I just dont want him to get married with in the next 6 months... i'd be pretty bummed if I wasn't there. I eat when we have time haha we eat chinese every now and then but usually what ever is available and fast. My cooking skills have gotten a little better in the last year though haha

How are you really? I miss you so much. It blows my mind that it has been a whole year since I last saw you in person or gave you a hug. This next 6 months will go quick though. I am excited to work as hard a as I can this next 6 but when it's over I can;t wait to get a pedicure with you and go to carolina's :) I love you so much! Hang in there! :)

Love, Em

Email from July 21, 2014

Dear Dad, 

   

Thanks for the amazing email!  You really nailed it this time. I love reading about everyone and still feeling like I'm in the loop, even though I am in a whole different country! (if Canada really counts...).  Anyways, I bet camping was great.  I really missed not being there.  I know where the rain was that you didn't have, it was here all day Saturday and Sunday!  I love that memory of us putting up the trailer in a full down pour!  We were SO cold and completely drenched!  I am glad we got it up though :).  We were tracting Saturday night and I saw a little fly fishing raft in someone's yard and I couldn't help my mind just miss being there.  I really miss you all!  I can't even believe it's already been about a whole year!  It's all going to end so fast. 

   

SO amazing about the Tilleman's (Emily's former mission President).  I love the small world with Tina and Sister Tilleman's sister being friends and with the Dave Campbell being a friend as well. I am glad you got to meet them and hear them speak. They are amazing people!  We'll definitely have to have them over for dinner or something when I get home. I'd love to have everyone together.  Also, thanks for expressing gratitude to him for all he did for me, I wanted him to hear that.  It meant a lot coming from you and mom too.

This past week was a little rough.  I got the opportunity to speak a ton of Chinese which was a blessing and I am finding I have more desire to do language study as I learn characters. That's a blessing!  I learned a lot about the Atonement this week, well this morning. I didn't work my hardest this week.  I wasn't hastening and wasn't the example I need to be.  We made a mistake too with some sisters, no details necessary, but I was struggling a bit after the assistants to the president called.  The sisters asked for permission to do something and the Spirit told me no, but we then told them yes. I voiced the prompting, but after talking about it, I ignored it. Bad idea.  Anyways, I couldn't let it go.  I had prayed long and hard and recommitted myself to do better, but I held on. This morning I read the story of Alma the Younger, in Mosiah 27 in The Book of Mormon and also his own personal account he gives to his son, Helaman in Alma 36.  I recognized that as soon as Alma knew he was forgiven of his sins, he moved on.  He got up off the bed he was paralyzed to and got to work! He forgot the torment and pain he felt and let light and joy fill his heart because Jesus Christ had already paid the price. 

   

Christ has already born the cross. He did it so I don;t have to and I realized I kept saying I had accepted His atonement this time but if I don't move forward and continue then I haven't fully allowed the Lord to enter my heart.  I have to let Him bear it.  He is just asking me to stop being so hard on myself and let Him walk with me. It was a humbling personal study this morning. 

   

I love this gospel.  I love being a missionary and how the Atonement of Jesus Christ can change us and how it has changed me!  I have become such a better person and I am so blessed for who the Lord is shaping me into. I know this is true and I wouldn't trade the last year for anything. I know that this is the Lord's true church and I love that we're apart of it. It's not always easy but it's worth it. We can all be pioneers for those who follow after us if we accept the trials and bear them with Christ and become equally yoked with Him.

   

I love you,

   

Sister Emily Dahl

P.S. I am so happy for Rob (her cousin) and Jess Dahl!  I was thinking about them the other day and are so excited they had a baby!

Email from July 14, 2014

Dear Dad,

Oh my goodness!  I can't even believe you went and saw the Tilleman's speak yesterday.  I am so excited that you got to see just a glimpse of what I experienced nearly every week!  They are incredible!!!  They have both changed my life for the better and I am truly so blessed for all that I am have been given.  The Tilleman's and the Burt's will forever be close to my heart. Tell me what you said to him and what he said to you! I want a play by play!

So this past week was crazy!  I don't think I have ever been so busy my whole mission and then so exhausted either!  On Tuesday we had a zone conference with the Burt's!  I fall in love with them more and more each time we meet! and then an exchange with the Port Coquitlam (Poco) sisters.  That exchange was definitely an answer to my prayers.  I had been feeling like I was inadequate to be in the position I am and that I wasn't helping any of the sisters. I was pretty down. But after this exchange was such a tender mercy.

The Poco sisters are in a trio and sister Galbraith pulled one into our area and I was with the other 2.  I was able to get them both to open up and start talking about their feelings and what's been tough lately.  And then the next morning I studied for them.  I plead with Heavenly Father to help me know what these sisters need.  And in companionship study it all came together.  It was such a miracle! I just started talking and then the spirit filled my mouth with exactly what those sisters needed.  It all just made sense. It was an amazing exchange and helped me know that I am here for a reason.  I am here to help these sisters at this time and everything I have gone through or am going through is to bless them somehow. It's incredible!

On Wednesday we had our first of 3 zone meetings.  We were training at all of them. So Wednesday when quick and we had one of the most spiritual lessons of my mission with a Young Single Adult Chinese kid named Tim.  We met him last Sunday and he had been seeking direction in his life. In the lesson he felt the spirit so strong and he knew it was the spirit!   He set a baptismal date and went to the YSA branch yesterday. They elders will meet with him tomorrow! It's such a miracle!

Thursday was our interviews with President and Sister Burt.  As we waited we got a personal training by 2 of the assistants.  It was pretty intense but they are helping me increase my faith.  I have been struggling with that a lot lately, but I am working on it!  but since they were pretty backed up we had our interview together, Sister Galbraith and I.  Good thing we like each other :)  He asked about our family and I showed the picture from Shane's homecoming.  It was so fun to be with them.

But our week picked up again when we had back to back zone meetings and a different set of assistants was at each.  Talk about nerve racking!  I get so nervous to train and feel like they go horrible but it turned out okay haha we then had another exchange with some sisters who are struggling a lot!  But to say the least, after that whole week, I am tired!  I crashed on Saturday night.  I could not believe our week had been so draining!  But non the less, I loved it all!  This work is so incredible and I can;t wait to work my hardest for the next 7 months!  It'll go quick but it is all worth it!

I love you! I miss the fam but this is exactly where I need to be!  Please keep praying for me!  Thanks for all the support you give to me!

Love, Sister Emily Dahl

President ans Sister Tilleman - July 13th email.

Dear Dad,

   Oh my goodness! I can;t even believe you went ad saw the Tilleman's speak yesterday. I am so excited that you got to see just a glimpse of what I experienced nearly every week! They are incredible!!! They have both changed my life for the better and I am truly so blessed for all that I am have been given. The Tilleman's and the Burt's will forever be close to my heart. Tell me what you said to him and what he said to you! I want a play by play!

   So this past week was crazy! I don;t think I have ever been so busy my whole mission and then so exhausted either! On Tuesday we had a zone conference with the Burt's! I fall in love with them more and more each time we meet! and then an exchange with the port coquitlam (poco) sisters. That exchange was defintely an answer to my prayers. I had been feeling like I was inadequate to be in the position I am and that I wasn't helping any of the sisters. I was pretty down. But after this exchange was such a tender mercy. 

   The poco sisters are in a trio and sister Galbraith pulled one into our area and I was with the other 2. I was able to get them both to open up and start talking about their feelings and what's been tough lately. And then the next morning I studied for them. I plead with Heavenly Father to help me know what these sisters need. And in companionship study it all came together. It was such a miracle! I just started talking and then the spirit filled my mouth with exactly what those sisters needed. It all just made sense. It was an amazing exchange and helped me know that i am here for a reason. I am here to help these sisters at this time and everything I have gone through or am going through is to bless them somehow. It's incredible!

   On wednesday we had our first of 3 zone meetings. We were training at all of them. So wednesday when quick and we had one of the most spiritual lessons of my mission with a ysa chinese kid named Tim. We met him last Sunday and he had been seeking direction in his life. In the lesson he felt the spirit so strong and he knew it was the spirit! He set a baptismal date and went tot he ysa branch yesterday. They elders will meet with him tomorrow! It's such a miracle! 

   Thursday was our interviews with President and Sister Burt. As we waited we got a personal training by 2 of the assistants. It was pretty intense but they are helping me increase my faith. I have been struggling with that a lot lately, but I am working on it! but since they were pretty backed up we had our interview together, Sister Galbraith and I. Good thing we like each other :) He asked about our family and I showed the picture from Shane's homecoming. It was so fun to be with them.

 But our week picked up again when we had back to back zone meetings and a different set of assistants was at each. Talk about nerve racking! I get so nervous to train and feel like they go horrible but it turned out okay haha we then had another exchange with some sisters who are struggling a lot! But to say the least, after that whole week, I am tired! I crashed on Saturday night. I could not believe our week had been so draining! But non the less, I loved it all! This work is so incredible and I can;t wait to work my hardest for the next 7 months! It'll go quick but it is all worth it! 

   I love you! I miss the fam but this is exactly where I need to be! Please keep praying for me! Thanks for all the support you give to me!

Love, Sister Emily Dahl

With a friend.

Vancouver BC Skyline

Doing Service!

With Sister Galbraith

Email from July 7th

Dear Dad, 

  It is great to hear from you! Although I am incredibly jealous that I wasm't there to go to lake powell!!! I seriously wish I could have been, It looked like a blast! This past week was crazy busy with 2 holidays, a birthday, an exchange with the spanish sisters and a mission council with president burt! WOW! I will gladly tell you all about it but before that, it is so good to hear from you! I miss your long informative, detailed emails. It's great! I am glad mom was able to report on me, i hope she didnt talk about my leadership in too much depth. It doesnt need to be published... I'm just a normal missionary with a few extra responsibilities and opportunties to serve. I am sure she enjoyed sharing about me though, I am loving it out here! I am so happy to hear your job is doing well! That is such a blessing! i love to hear that :) i have been praying a lot. everyone seems well. I will keep everyones health in my prayers. Just let me know on when I need to get my blood stuff done. 

   So you asked for "a day in the life of Sister Dahl", I'll let you have it. So I am in a normal proselyting area, in a normal ward but we cover 3 zones of sisters, 8 companionships (including a few trios) so it's 20 sisters total. And our responsibility is "to lift encourage, inspire and bless". As President Tilleman explained to me once before in an interview, my responsibility, with my companion is to teach and train other sisters how to do missionary work. So that includes exchanges. Because we cover so many sisters that means I do about 2, 24 hour exchanges every week. It makes things go quick. Also, we train at different district meetings every week since we are one of the only missions in the world, if not the only mission, who has all sister districts. So we train at those, we train at each of the 3 zones, zone meetings. we collect results and report to the assistants on baptismal information. If sisters have questions about obedience or want permission to do something, they go through us and we will communicate with the zone leaders or assistants. It's a pretty crazy life. But I love it! We really are hastening! 

   Since President and Sister Burt arrived last week and we had a mission council, which all sister training leaders attend, we will be having zone meetings. So we have 1 on wednesday and then 2 on friday, along with a zone conference with the Burt's and 2 exchanges. It'll be next Monday before I know it! It is a fast life, but like I said, I love it. It is so special the miracles that take place and the spirit that is felt when you are able to truly help a sister as she serves. I can feel the Lord work through me to just bless the other sisters. I had the opportunity to exchange with the Spanish Sisters this week and after praying again, we knew I needed to be in their area. And guess what? I can speak spanish!!! The Lord blessed me so much to be able to understand and speak at times and by the end of the exchange, pray. This poor sister said she hated exchanges because no one ever understands and she has to teach all on her own. It was amazing to see how merciful the Lord was to her and also to me. I know that my spanish is not gone, it's just on the shelf right now and the Lord will allow me to remember and continue to study when I return. It was so cool!

   My favorite part of last week was going to mission council! I love the Burt's! What amazing people! i miss the Tilleman's so much and I love them dearly but I know the Burt's are exactly what are mission needs and that we will begin to progress and take this mission to the next level. I felt the spirit confirm to me so strongly that President Burt has all the priesthood keys to lead and direct this mission. We counseled together and everything he testified of and trained on was EXACTLY what we need right now. I felt so privileged to receive that witness so quickly. I love how the spirit truly is involved in every aspect of this work.

   My birthday was good. Thanks so much for the package! I loved the journal and the clothes and I love the scripture case! Thanks so much! Tell mom she did a good job! :) and tell Paula thanks too! I felt your love because it was a pretty hard day. You said you missed not being with me, it was hard not being with you! I kind of had a break down... but I am doing better now. Just learning a lot about myself and how I can improve. 20 is a big age and my next 20 are going to shape the rest of eternity. Thanks for a good start! :) I am happy though, nervous about next transfer. My comp found out she goes in the middle of next transfer instead of the end. I hope I can be with her to the end. She's great!

   Well, I love you! I love the pics and am so grateful you saw so many miracles on your trip. The Lord is funny like that! He is fully in control though and is constantly building our faith. I am praying for you and love you all!

love, Sister Emily Dahl

P.S Let me know if you get a hold of the Tilleman's! i love them and miss them! If you meet up tell them Thank you and that they changed my life and I love them! 

Email from June 30th

Dear Dad,

   HAPPY CANADA DAY!!! Tomorrow is going to be a big day in the life of your only daughter... my first Canada Day AND President and Sister Burt, my new mission president and mom, arrive tomorrow! I am really looking forward to meeting them. I will miss the Tilleman's so much, they both have changed my life forever! But I know that the Burt's will be exactly what our mission needs. It'll be exciting to finally see this change take place.

   So I love my assignment right now, I really feel like I'm hastening! We run!! Also, there is NEVER a dull moment with Sister Galbraith, love this girl! :) We are working hard because our area is struggling! We see so many miracles but a lot of them end up back firing haha I am learning so much though. I studied sacrifice today and was able to understand so much more about how when we truly let things go and give them to the Lord, when we put off the natural man, we build faith. I pondered a lot this morning about what else I can sacrifice so that I can have the faith necessary to see a miracle change this area. I'm not perfect but I am going to work as hard as I can to consecrate myself fully to the Lord.

   I love this work. It's truly changing me and helping me understand what the gospel truly means. I feel like I've been learning it my whole life but I finally am starting to understand what it means to be a disciple. I know this gospel is real. It's so true! I have seen WAY to many miracles and way too many blessings come into my life, that i can not deny that it is true. Thank you so much for the last 20 years, I have learned so much and I can;t wait to see where the next 20 and 40 take me!

   I love you! I miss you! and I pray all is well! Keep hastening the work! 

Love, Sister Emily Dahl

P.S. 

my address is 880 herrmann (basement) st coqutilam, BC V3C 6E7

Email from June 23rd

Dear Mom,

   It's good to hear from you! I can't believe Brad was in the hospital again! I will keep praying for his health, scary stuff! If I need to get checked, call the mission office and ask for Sister Hogg, she's the mission nurse. I probably have a similar condition because my blood clots super easy, scary. I am glad he is doing well! I love that girls camp was such a success! I miss all those girls, maybe next year, Bishop Taylor will let me tag along again! :) I would love that!

   I loved hearing about the miracle you witnessed after the trial of your faith. So last week I experienced the same thing! I told you about the assistants challenge and how we needed to find 2 baptismal dates in our area in 2 days. We ended our p day early last week and worked SO hard! But we didnt set any, we were so close a few times but it didnt happen. 

   We were dreading the assistants call on Tuesday morning to get baptismal date information because we didnt want to tell them we didnt get it. We exchanged that day so I was up in North Vancouver and Sister Galbraith had to talk to them. On the phone, one of the assistants committed Sister Galbraith and the other sister to find 3 baptismal dates that day and to text them that night the names and dates of those people. Those sisters went to work! They were contacting, tracting, calling everyone they could and they did it! They set 3 pretty solid baptismal dates for July! It was incredible! They set one on the street, one on the phone and one in a lesson.

   When they called that night I was freaking out! The Lord just made this amazing miracle happen! I wasn't there to witness it but I put in  a lot of work. We exercised a lot of faith but it wasn't until we had exchanged where not only Heavenly Father let a miracle happen but He let a struggling sister experience it and witness it! The church is so true! No one can tell me God is not real when we can commit 3 strangers to prepare themselves to enter into a covenant with God and be ready to do so in one month. Miracles have not ceased!!! I love this work!

   Then yesterday, we had no one to come to church. I was speaking that day and that morning when we realized we had no one who committed, we were so bummed! We hate putting zeros as our results! We didn't know what else to do. After sacrament meeting concluded, Bishop Hall came up to me and said, "There's a man sitting in the back that we don't know. Could you sisters go meet him?" We went back there and met Gord. He had been receiving a lot of spiritual promptings that he needed to come to church. And specifically to our church. He stayed all 3 hours and we made him a new investigator! We had a friend at church! Heavenly Father literally dropped him in our laps! I was so blessed to witness this and be a part of it. 

   The Lord is so mindful of us. He is aware and even though we feel inadequate at times and we feel like we're not good enough, the Lord is on our side. He knows I can be a sister training leader, sometimes this past week I wondered why I was chosen but I know that the Lord is a miracle worker and I have something to offer. There is a quote by President Monson that says, "...do not pray for tasks equal to your abilities, but pray for abilities equal to your tasks. Then the performance of your tasks will be no miracle, but you will be the miracle."

   I am walking proof that God is real. I am a miracle and I love what the Lord is shaping me into. I love seeing amazing things come to pass every day and also the mighty change in myself. I love this work and I am forever grateful for the opportunity I have to be missionary at this time. It;s the best decision I ever made and I love it! I am praying for you and everyone and I know this church is true!

  I love you! 

Sister Emily Dahl

With some noodles and my companion.

Happy Birthday to Mom!

Email from June 9 th

Dear Dad,

   Thanks for the few photos! Looks like everyone is well. Lucy is growing so fast and I just realized that Kilee is almost 16... Holy Crap! haha She becoming so beautiful! :) Tell her I love her and miss her! I am really glad she got to go see her dad, how did it go? I hope everyone is well. It sounds like you're working hard and seeing deals happen, awesome.

  SO this week I learned a lot about the spirit. I feel like when I first got out on my mission it was so hard to recognize the promptings of the spirit. It's a weird thing because as a missionary, if you're being exactly obedient then you automatically have the spirit with you all the time so deciphering between promptings had always been a little difficult for me. My trainers would pray over the map and they'd say, "Where do you think we should go?" I had no idea! I was just staring at a bunch a streets. I never understood what they meant when they told me the spirit would guide me to where we needed to go.

   Now that I've been out here for over 10 months, I have gotten a lot better at not only recognizing the spiritual promptings coming my way but also acting on them. Last week I saw so many miracles. We had a zone meeting on Friday and I had never felt the spirit so strong! My heart was pounding so hard and I seriously cannot deny that the gospel is true! The church is seriously SO true! Every part of it just makes sense and everything witnesses to me that God is good and He's real and Jesus Christ is our Savior and so a part of our lives! I was so pumped up and couldn't wait to get out and just tell everyone in British Columbia! I didn't care who I talked to but I needed to share what i just felt!

   We didn't have a ton of time that night to contact but we went out and I was going to reach our goal of 4 new investigators. There weren't many people on the street but I was searching for the one. I had a strong prayer in my heart and I was trying to follow that spirit that i carry with me. Sister Wang and I were walking on the street and saw that there were not that many people down one side of the mall and I quickly turned around and said, "We need to talk to her!" and then boom! she became a new investigator then we talked to a few other people and it died off again. We started heading a different way and I quickly turned my heels and saw Jay. I said, "We gotta talk to him!" Boom! New investigator who will come to our chinese ward sunday. Seriously, such a miracle! I could hardly even believe it! The Lord guided me to so many people and it was just by looking at them and following the feelings I had.

   So often the spirit is trying to tell us something. HE is constantly giving us direction in this crazy life but if we aren't doing all we can to be worthy of that spirit or if we don't follow the promptings He gives, it's hard for Him to trust us. We truly can have a relationship with the Holy Ghost and trust goes both ways. We have to trust Him and He'll continue to bless our lives and help in our journey through mortality.

  I love being a missionary and being a part of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. I know I need to follow Him more than ever and i know He'll help me with all the assignments I have been given on my mission and in my life. I love you and am praying for you! I am so blessed to have two amazing parents who taught me so well how to follow the spirit.

   Love, Sister Emily Dahl

With some friends at church.

Eating Dumplings

E mail from June 2

Dear Dad,

   Don;t worry about not writing last week. In the moment, I was a little bummed but I ended up being okay. The rest of the week got better. That day i told Sister Wang everything on my mind, poor thing. She said she understood my English but not what i meant haha I went on an exchange with the Sister training Leaders and that was so inspired. I was with a sister from Sugar City, Idaho. She and I talked a lot about the Higher Law.

   Since I have been out here, I've learned so much about the Higher Law. After being on my mission for nearly 10 months now and helping people come unto the waters of baptism, I have learned a lot about he eternal perspective of life and also God's nature. As we live the doctrine of Christ, having faith, repenting, being baptized, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end, we are purifying our hearts. We are striving our very best to become like Jesus Christ. But as we can see in this world, many changing values and shifting views on morality have definitely influenced us. But something struck me in a conference talk. I can't remember which one but it talks about how God's spiritual law does not change.

   The Higher Law of making and keeping covenants is the way we must live in this life. We can not lower our expectations because if we are to live this law, we have to keep our expectations where God's are. I have felt a deeper sense of who I am and who I want to be. I know that my mission has completely changed me and is definitely preparing me for the rest of my life. It's preparing me to face greater difficulty, it's preparing me to honor my temple covenants with more seriousness and sacredness. It is helping me understand the type of family and home I wish to create. It is helping me keep my expectations high. I love this concept and I am so grateful I grew up in a home where Monday night was family night and every night we knelt for family prayer, our family goes to church. I love that I grew up where the principles of righteousness were taught. I never realized it before but now I can see how important all of these things are for living the Higher Law. It';s amazing!

   Well I love you , Dad! Thanks for being such a great example and helping me so much with all of my righteous desires. I am so blessed to be a missionary and I have this time to refine myself and become even more Christ-like so that when I return, I can continue on my way back to our Heavenly Father with a better understanding of the importance of gospel living. And I have the tools necessary to help me get back. The church is true!

   Much love, Sister Dahl