A Letter from my Missionary Daughter in California

Hola everyone!!

The sun never ceases to shine here in southern California and I am so grateful. And also sometimes a little annoyed at how perfect the weather is , which I know is a very ungrateful thing to say, but I mean come on nothing is ever THAT perfect. When it rains here (which has only happened a couple times since I"ve been out) I rejoice because then I have evidence that the weather isn't 100% perfect. But it's pretty darn close. Anyway, now that I've complained about perfect weather to people who live in places where it's well below zero all the time.... 

This week has been awesome!!!! We got to hear from Sheri Dew, who is the CEO of Deseret Book, and a pretty inspiring woman. She's never been married and she's in her 60s, which is pretty rare for a Mormon. But through all of her trials, she has learned to trust God and his timing. That's not to say that she was never angry or never had questions, but she's learned to ask questions of faith instead of questions of doubt and she's learned how to recognize the answers. If we want to grow spiritually we have to ask questions and then listen for the answer, because God always answers us. We may have trouble recognizing the answer, or have trouble accepting the answer, but it's there nevertheless. So when questions come- and they will- are we willing to engage in the wrestle to have those questions answered?

How do we get our questions answered? It comes when we are willing to put in the work to study, think about what you studied, and then watch and listen. I have found a lot in my life that my prayers are mostly answered through other people. A smile, a comment, a kind act from someone that I might not even know can all be answers. But also know that even if you're waiting a long time for an answer to come, God's timing is perfect. Be willing to believe that an answer will come. 

This transfer is about up, and time is just flying!! I was blessed to be able to see and talk to my family yesterday through Google Hangouts and it was the best :) Sometimes I get really homesick for just hearing their voices or seeing their faces, but it's days like yesterday that make the time apart worth it. And knowing that our family can be together forever is comforting as well :)  I will always treasure the time that I have here on the mission and the people that I meet, and the experiences that I've had. Treat each day as a gift, and you'll always be happy! I love you all, my friends; have an amazing week! 

Love, Sister Torkildson