Hello!!

With the amount of rain we have been getting here, I think that there will be nothing but flowers next month! It is really crazy..I think the grass is greener from all the water than it ever was back at home! It is also very humid....which is a struggle for me, but take what you get, right? :) It sounds like you had an enjoyable trip with Mike and Tricia, I'm glad you were able to go party with them! Haha and I can just see all of you road-trippin in a huge van, that could be quite entertaining! (us girl cousins might have to borrow it when I get home ;) ) And I am slightly jealous that you went to Zions! I seriously need to go there someday, let's take a girls trip so you can make it to the top! Random sidenote: We have an investigator named Serious, and so I think of her every time I say that word!

Good for Jake...he takes after his sister ;) Really though, that sounds like fun! Easter here was sort of...unique. Actually, it's a funny story. So we went to church, then after that we had Easter Lunch with our friend Megan and her non-member parents. It was good, but I wasn't really hungry. I ate way too much anyways due to social pressures ;) Then we went to visit our african friend. She was working on a school assignment, so we helped her then were planning on sharing a scripture about Easter with her. She told us we needed to wait just a minute, then proceeded to make a 8 egg omlet (with the works) on top of a huge plate of fries! She then gave it to Sister Amis and I to share. We were so full that we could barely eat another bite, but it is really offensive to African's when you don't eat there food. So...I said a prayer and got an Easter Miracle! I said, Heavenly Father, I don't know if or how I can do this! That is so much food. Please help us somehow. Just after that, a couple of her kids came over, and they thankfully helped us finish! After that we drove directly to Sister Registers house for Easter dinner. Oh my goodness, I thought I would burst! Her food was really good, but I was really really full! So it was an adventure, I don't think I need to eat for the next week or so! Haha food is one of the funniest things on a mission.

Other than the food though, I really really enjoyed being out here on a mission during the Easter season. IT was sad to me to see how many people had no idea what the real meaning of Easter was. Being able to teach them was a really neat experience. Sister Amis and I had a very neat experience on Thursday night talking to one of our members about her mission, and some amazing miracles she saw, that left me with no doubt in my mind that the Savior does live. That he died and rose again on the third day. I've never known that strongly in my life. It is amazing, I could never deny it. This gospel is so true! Last night we ran into someone on the street who was a highly educated agnostic. He told us that we didn't know what we were talking about, and used science to prove us wrong. It was an interesting experience for me, having thought a lot of those thoughts before, but having found the truth for myself. I felt so lucky to have that chance to stand up and say that faith doesn't make logical sense, but it is real. That I can't prove that God or Jesus Christ exist, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that they exist. I know that I have a purpose, and that I am more than just a collection of cells! I am more than the product of evolution. All in all, it was an Easter I won't forget anytime soon!!

I hope you get doing better...being sick is absolutely no fun! And On my goodness....I loved the package!!! I just finished the goldfish :) I haven't done anything with the eggs yet....they have a purpose, I'm just figuring out what that purpose is! :) Thanks again so much. It was fun, because Sister Amis also got a package, so we waited until Friday morning to open them, it felt like Christmas :) We went on a run in the rain, got back, and got to open them while we streched out our old legs! :)

Sounds like life is busy busy busy! Busy is good, but hard. Good luck, I hope there is lots of laughs! Oh man, I want my buddy too lots of times. I get to see you all soon though, that will be so good! :) Thank you thank you for sending shirts, I have a grand total of...2 short sleeve shirts, so things are going to get real interesting here soon ;) That's alright though, I would rather be hot than freeze to death!

I loved your thought on Atonement. Isn't it interesting how it means so much to us at different points in our lifes! It's almost like the meaning changes. It's a really beautiful thing. We are so blessed to have the knowledge we have, I am seeing the importance of sharing that knowledge more and more every day! Don't worry, Sister Amis and I have way too many reasons to laugh every day, I love you lots too and miss you all!

Love,
Sister Christina Trickler

p.s. I didn't tell you the funniest story of all! So this week, we were visiting a less active sister who speaks zero english. She is from Laos. Her daughter was there, and opened the door with a bottle of beer in her hand. We knew it was going to be an adventure! She welcomed us in, and talked and talked and talked. It was about time for us to go, and she asked us if we wanted any soup. We said no thanks, we had just eaten, but she insisted. So rather than offend, we said sure. She gave sister Amis a bowl of soup that was rather large and asked if I wanted some. I said if I could just have a spoon and share with Sister Amis, that would be great. She said sure, and handed me a spoon, and a huge bowl of soup...oh dear, language barrier! Haha it looked good, she said it was completely homemade, it had noodles, pork, and some brown stuff with broth. We started to eat it and it was alright, then Sister Amis made the fatal mistake of asking what the brown stuff was. She thought it was tofu or something, but the sister told us that it was dried pigs blood! WE WERE EATING BLOOD!!!!! oh my goodness, I couldn't do it! That was why my soup was getting browner and browner by the minute, the blood was re-hydrating! Holy Cow, it was a rough one. Luckily she asked us if we wanted to talk some home and we said yes, so I poured my bowl into the container and took it home. I felt like a weird taste was in my mouth the rest of the night! Haha so, yes it was a crazy adventurous food week, I had no room to complain at home! Love you all lots!