Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Last week we found at least 6 new less-active members. Some of them have a desire to come back to church, and others seem less than enthusiastic about it. I can see that work with less-actives is going to be an emphasis we have to make in the coming weeks. We are hoping to really try and involve the ward in this. Sometimes, especially when a ward is made up of many converts, most trying to figure out how to be members themselves, it is hard for them to know how to help the missionary effort. The have the desires to help, but they need direction. Our ward has been having a little trouble finding that direction in the investigator part of our work, but I think that helping them help us with less-actives will better help them understand how they too can be missionaries and examples to everyone.

There isn't much to report on Laura this week, since we haven't been able to see her. Her daughter-in-law just had a baby, so she is busy helping her and our next appt isn't until this Thursday.

We are starting to worry a little about Thelma. We were only able to visit with her last week, and not teach a lesson because she cancelled some of our appts and when we just stopped by, we were able to visit with her for a short time but then she had to go. She rescheduled for tomorrow, and are hoping and praying that she will be there. The last time that we taught Thelma, and we were taking about baptism, she said, "well, yeah, but it was a lot easier for both of you becuase you grew up in the church." I started thinking about that and told her it was easier to recognize the truth, because I had great parents that taught it to me. They taught me the lessons and the principles through FHE before I was eight. I told her that is what we are. Since she didn't have parents who taught her the lessons, the Lord sent missionaries, so that, if she lets it, her decision can also be as easy as mine was. I realized how important the things I learned were in keeping me strong in the church. So thanks, Mom and Dad, for being my missionaries and fulfilling our purpose, to "baptize and retain."

We have spent a lot of this week inviting people to the Easter Pageant. It starts in exactly one week! I am really excited for it. The stage is up and they are practicing all this week, since it is Spring Break for the Mesa Schools. The last day of the pageant is the first day of conference, and the day before Easter. I am excited that conference falls on Easter this year. There is so much to look forward to in the next 4 weeks! We find out about transfers (all ready?!) this Saturday, transfers and the Easter Pageant are next Tuesday, Easter and General Conference are the first week of April, and then Laura's baptism is April 10th. So much to do! Who knows what is going to happen with transfers. Who ever knows but the Lord... I really want to stay in my area, with Hna. Nielsen next transfer. That would mean I would be back at the VC just for 2 weeks and then full-field again. It has happened before. Well, that is it for this week!

Desde Mesa con amor,
Hermana Ladd