Email....April 29

dear family..
i havent gotten your letter yet today so i will have to answer your questions next week. its so hard not to be able to write you when ever i need to. by the way the answer to your scripture is alma 32:21.. and yours is.... "Wherefore my beloved brethern if ye have not charity, ye are nothing for charity never faileth. wherefore cleave unto charity which is the greatest of all for all things must fail- but charity is the pure love of christ and it endureth forever and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day it shall be well with him."

i cant wait to get the letter from you about the comments.. it will be fun. are you still with verizon? sounds like trouble with the phones.. HEHE! i cant wait to get pictures of prom and graduation!!! sounds like everyone is having fun.. and im glad to know that Lacie (she is a crazy girl (:) is comin out to see you guys. i hope tandy is too!

Womens Conference sounds like fun. good for daddy too? what all do reed and daddy talk about everyday? jk! i got a letter from amy yesterday. i also got an unexpected package from ty.. did you tell him i wanted my boots? it made me happy though..

Sis Smith is way neat. i have been learnin lots. the first week was hard because i was so exhausted.. i have never been this kinda exhausted. but i did just push through.. then on sunday i started to get a cold that was kickin my behind but im doin better. next monday we get to hear from elder bednar. hes comin to tour the mission. i cant wait.

we have been teachin so many different people and we have a dinner appointment almost every nite. we have a baptism scheduled for sometime in June. and we are hopin to be able to get another one tonight. yay!

i am also learnin a bit of spanish because we have a few investigators that are spanish speakin and we are the only missionaries in this area. so that has been interestin.

im still havin a hard time likin president somers.. he just seems a bit cold towards the way of life that i grew up on..i had a hard time talking to him in my interview with him when we got to the mission home.

when we ask what we can do for service to members and investigators most say they need help brandin at this time of year... and it has put a know in my rope to have to tell them that we cant help do that because our president has told us that we can help with any kind of sloter, brandin, or castration. which i think is a stupid rule. but all i can do is obey it.. but i dont have to like it. ;)

Tryin to stay strong!
love you all!
Love Sis Stradling

E-mail...4/22/09

Hello from Arco Idaho

Hola Family!

yesterday was a bit crazy.. we landed at nine and then president and sister somers picked us up at the airport. we went to the mission office and got a little tour. and got to meet the couples that work in the office. they are all really neat. then we went to the mission home for a day of orentation. we got a binder with alot of different things in it.. i got a supprise when i oppened it up. there was a letter from kyle and dewitt. (kyles letter was for last week but the address that we had put on it was the mission address cause we thought i was going to be hereby then. he was very greatful for the easter package.) we had lunch and dinner. then at the end of the evenin we had a little testimony meeting. then the elders (11 of them) went with the assistances (3 of them) to their appartment for the evenin. and the 4 sisters all stayed in the basement of the mission home.

this morinin we got up and started on the transfer trail. it was really neat to meet a bunch of different people. i accually ran into sister hall (who is from show low) who i went to school at EA for a year with. it was really fun to see her. when i got to idaho falls i met up with my trainer sister smith. she is way cool. shes from washington state. very relax and strait forward here. our area is Arco, its like bein back in cliff.. thats how spread out it is. when the president told me that i was going to the biggest area, he was right we have about 100 miles cover. they said that the country girl will do very well in the country :) it made me laugh. sister bell is going to idaho falls west II. the other side of the mission. we went to walmart and the postoffice and to lunch with sister pearson ( who is our land lord and a mission leader) then we came to the house to unpack and clean the house. and after we are done here at the library we have to go wash the car. then we have an appointment at six. ill let you know how that will go.

sounds like you have been busy sewin. who is lyndsey going with? that is so cool that shan is going with jared.. i want pictures when you get them! how did he ask her? how did shans last night of the play go? YAY on getting the title back for the truck! who has been drivin it lately by the way? well dont you have alot of time with the testin? isnt that what you were doin when i was at home? and didnt you do it with suzanna last time too? sounds like things are fun down there.. and i know that sister allan will call you! and i will write you what the answer to you scripture is when i have my scriptures on me they are in the car.

love you all!
love,
sister stradling

Letter .... 4-12-09

MOM,
SO I HAD TO WRITE AND TELL YOU A REALLY FUNNY STORY. SO YESTERDAY I GOT UP, GOT READY FOR THE DAY ADN WENT TO CLASS. WE GOT TO CLASS AND I RELIZED I HADN'T PUT ON A BRA! SO I LEANED OVER TO SIS BELL AND WISPERED TO HER TAHT WHEN WE HEADED TO BREAKFAST I NEEDE TO GO BACK TO THE ROOM. so we did. THEN AFTER LUNCH ELDER LEMONDA & ELDER MORTIMER & US BEAT EVERONE BACK TO THE CLASSROOM. WHEN WE SAT DOWN TO START TO STUDY I LOOKED UP AND ELDER MORTIMER WAS CHUCKLIN AND JUST SHAKIN HIS HEAD AT ME. SO I ASKED WHAT WAS SO FUNNY & HE RESPONDED WITH, AT LEAST I REMEMBERED TO PUT ALL MY CLOTHES ON TODAY! I CRACKED UP. APPARENTLY I DIDN'T COVER MY MOUTH WELL ENOUGH AND HE HAD READ MY LIPS WHEN I HAD LEANED OVER TO SISTER BELL. I THINK I WAS LAUGHIN HARDER AND I WASN'T EMBARRESSED.

SO THE OTHER NIGHT I DREMPT YOU SOLD THE TRUCK (I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHICH ONE THOUGH) AND THAT HAS BEEN A DREAM I HAVE REMEMBERED THE MOST THE LAST FEW WEEKS.

I WILL GET TO CALL YOU FROM THE AIRPORT ON THE 21ST ONCE WE GET TO THE GATE SO I COULD USE A CALLIN CARD TO DO THAT :) OR AT LEAST SOME MONEY TO BUY ONE AT THE BOOK STORE:)

TODAY THAT LITTLE BIT OF DREAD HIT. THAT I DON'T KNOW MY MATERIAL ENOUGH AND THAT IM GONNA STICK MY FOOT IN MY MOUTH MORE OFTEN THAN NOT. I'M SCARED. I'M TRYIN TO FOREGT MYSELF BUT I'M NERVOUS. PRAY FOR ME PLEASE. THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO FIND PEACE IN GOIN INTO THE UNKNOWN.

I LOVE YOU

SIS STRADLING

P.S. AND I CHALLENGE YOU ALL TO A SCRIPTURE GAME. I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A SCRIPTURE AND YOU HAVE TO FIND THE REFERENCE. THEN SEND ME THE REFERENCE AND A NEW SCRIPTURE :) SO YA READY: (IT WILL BE IN THE B of m)

"Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."
:) enjoy!!

E-Mail.....April 10th

hiya family!

so to answer your questions! i only have thirty min at the mtc to send an email so i hope i can get this all in before time runs out! i did get your package.. thank you alot.. i wore the black pair of hose today and they already have a run from my toe to the lace on the top and i only wore them to the temple today. we get to go to the temple on our p days so we have been twice since i have been here. i have sent you a package with pictures and a picture cd. :)

sister bell and i are now the only girls in our room.. this will just make you laugh and cringe at the same time.. WE ARE FLYING TO POCATELLO!!! we are leaving the mtc the 21 at 5 am. so i am going to need money to for bagage check.. delta charges 40 bucks for two checked bags. UGH! so not excited about it. and im probably going to be sendin stuff home so im going to probably need a little cash for that too.

our routine is so packed it usually goes about like this... wake up, study, eat(7:oo), study/classroom time, eat (12:00), study/gym, study, eat (5:00) then back to the books. thats about the routine.. and i will be stayin no worries.. the flying out to the field is kinda makin knots in my stomach but thats all good. a little fear is the best. the one thing that i dont like about my experience here is talkin on the phone in the referral center.. i do not like calling people on the phone that I dont know. i love going to the TRC to teach fake investigators lessons.. i like it because i can see their body language and the expression on their faces.

i have gotten letters from kyle, amy, lacie, and tandy. they all keep telling me that im amazing and that i just need to forget everyone and go to work.. i wrote back that i can think about them all once in a while... if not i would go crazy. :) all their letters make me laugh and give me encouragement.. thats why i love getting letters from you all. im glad you got to talk to kyle too. i think the hardest thing now is just not getting to talk to you when i want. i dont mind being away from home. there are times that im like oh i need to call and tell mom i need this or that.. or tell you when the elders say something stupid in the class. all the elders in my district are going to miniapplis minasoda (sp i know). which is funny cause thats the mission logan is in (right?)

can i get the list for thank you cards and all the addresses that go with it so i can use my pday next week to work on some of that.. (that way i can get rid of some thank you cards to lighten the load for my flight)

hows dads hand? how did his trip to TX go? where all did they go? did reed get to go with you? any more deer run into the trailer? and i want jerky when you guys get the elk back. i think the trailer is going to end up in early retirement. lol! tell me more about you trip to glendale.. what was the truck and trailer for?

well my time is ending so i hope to hear from you soon.. keep the letters coming and ill try to be better about writing back when i get them. (you can put this email on the blog if you want :))

i love you all!
love
sister stradling

Letter ..... 4-10-09

MOMMY!

THANK YOU THANK YOU! we loved the eggs adn the candy! It's awesome.

Don't worry about Kyle, I know he'll LOVE IT! (the package mom sent him) Glad to hear that you got after Reed & Dad. TOO bad I didn't know when I wrote Kyle today I would have told him.

Sorry I didn't write you sooner its been so busy.

Back to dad & Reed. Thats great you gave them the What For! I DIED laughing when I read that.

I Love You! HAPPY EASTER

then Sister Bell wrote:
-Oh my goodness the treats you sent us was sooo nice! I Love treats! Cambria talks about you so much that I already feel like I know you :) ! I Love your daughter she has been such a blessing for me! I have learned a lot from her! Such a cutie! I hope you & your Family have a fun Easter! Thanks sooooo much for the treats :)

Love always
(Lindsy) Sis Bell

(CAM) PS Tell the girls I Love them & to keep up the good work! :)

Letter .... 4/8/09

Mom,

So here I am sitting in the Referral Center. I really don't like it. Don't know why but I think part of it is i'm calling people I don't know and having to try to get to know them. I would rather ask these questions about them when I am face to face. I think it is because I would rather be able to read the facial expressions. I lvoe going to teaching appointments that we do 2 times a week. Those are fun.

Here are some pictures of us and the district.

I did finally get a letter from Kyle. It was way funny and made my day. I also have gotten one from Amy & and one from Lacie.

You have probably read about most of this by now by email. :)

Sister Stradling

P.S. I'm sending the CD to you for safe keeping!

First E-mail...

I guess I'm a typical missionary with bad spelling and hurried typing (copied straight from her e-mail). Mom wants to correct it!!

hiya family!!

ok so i finally made it to p day (which is friday) and got my email set up.. i do have to say though i have loved getting letters in the mail. cause it like a supprise every day of the week insted of one day.... but i can somewhat depend on my friends (for) that.. jk.. :) thank you for the package i love the pictures... (and elders mortimer and lemonds think that tae is a cutie) haha

anyway i dont think i will need my i home because there is no point cause i wont be able to use when i get out in the field anyway.. i could use my knee brace and you gonna kill me but i could use about three more pairs of each color of hose. i only brought three to begin with anyway. did i ever get a revenue check for my taxes?

if you could could you google mini pretch my gospel and see how much they are.. on of the elders in my district has one and they are perfect scirpture bag size. and i would really enjoy one if i could get a hold of one.. ;)

i really need the rest of the story behind dads hand! cause he left me hangin on the whole thing! not cool! did you have to call Tandy out there or was she out there just hangin out with the fam? did she tell you about her weekend with ty?

sister bell and i got a really cool letter each from a few of the sisters in our mission.. that said that they are excited that we are going to be in their mission.

i was lookin at picures in the halls of the wilford woodruff building the other day when a picture of the guatamala temple caught my eye... so when i was lookin at all the elders in the picture guess who was in it..... clint lemoux. i thought i was quite funny... i have gotten to see shandi a few times at meal time... and she seems to be fairing better than in did my first few days. i am doind much better for sure.. at first i didnt know if i really wanted to be here or not.. i think i was fighitng the lord on not wanting to change but he has slowly been winning. but i fianlly have it all figured out. so were good.. im still scared to death of the unknow and wahts going to be going on... there are times when it feels like they are feeding you with a fire hose. but its getting easier to take all in. i love you guys!

Love
Sister Cambria Stradling