First email from the mission

First off, my address is:
Sister Katie Abbott
1721 D Park Rd.
Harrisonburg, VA 22802

I am in Harrisonburg!!! It's pretty much the MOST beautiful place in theworld!! I'm convinced that God felt bad after he made the desert andstarted on VA and WV! I am in the area that covers West Virginia! Godtruly knows the desires of my heart, because from the moment Amanda told meto be ready for the coast, I've wanted to serve in the mountains! I'vetaken TONS of pictures but I probably won't develop them for a couple weeks.Well, it is truly official...GOD LOVES HIS MISSIONARIES!!! Harrisonburg isnot only beautiful, but the work has started to flourish!! My companionssay that I am the luckiest missionary in the whole world. Oh, my comps areSis. Thomas (my trainer) and Sis. Bergren. I love being in a trio!! SisterThomas is like a combination of Jenny Dick, Rhonda Shreeve, and Me! She isfrom a little town called Litchfield, CA about an hour and half from Reno.Sis. Bergren is from Las Vegas, but went to school in Reno. They have bothbeen out about a year and I couldn't have asked for better companions. Sis.Thomas is exactly the missionary I want to be. And Sis. Bergren has so manyqualities that I never knew I wanted to have. This transfer is truly ablessing!!Speaking of blessings... the work is so great here! The membership is strong! We cover 3 wards...Harrisonburg 1st and 2nd and Franklin (WV). We
don't get over to WV very often, except for when we are teaching someone. Right now we are doing a LOT of tracting. Our mission requires 18 1/2 hours a week. Most missions are only 12-15, but God has prepared more people than we can find in that time. So far, the success off of tracting hasn't been obvious, but I can see the change in people eyes as we share our testimonies of Jesus Christ! What a marvelous work this is!! In case you can't tell, I am overjoyed at the moment. Yesterday we taught out 3 leading investigators. I suppose you might want to know about them...
Julie-- She is 23, never believed in God before the missionaries tracted into her last month. She now knows that God is her father, Christ is her Savior, and Joseph Smith is a prophet. She has kept ALL of her commitments and I know God is proud of her. She is telling her family this weekend that she wants to be baptized, so hopefully she will be baptized on August 25th!!

Deanna-- She called for a free copy of Finding Faith in Chirst, and the sisters delivered it to her a couple weeks ago. She knows it's true and actually asked us last night when she could get baptized!!! But we started teaching her husband from Lesson 1 last night. He says that he has a hard time believing it, but it is so apparent in his eyes that God has prepared him for this!! They have 2 sons that will start on the lessons if Glen says it's ok. Last night, we gave Deanna a Proclamation to the World and the Testimony of Joseph Smith pamphlet. She called us this morning and told us that a couple nights ago, she was praying about Joseph Smith. She knew it was true but wanted a stronger conviction if she was going to do this with her family. She told us this morning that in a dream that night, she saw//-->
strong! We cover 3 wards...Harrisonburg 1st and 2nd and Franklin (WV). Wedon't get over to WV very often, except for when we are teaching someone.Right now we are doing a LOT of tracting. Our mission requires 18 1/2 hoursa week. Most missions are only 12-15, but God has prepared more people thanwe can find in that time. So far, the success off of tracting hasn't beenobvious, but I can see the change in people eyes as we share our testimoniesof Jesus Christ! What a marvelous work this is!! In case you can't tell, Iam overjoyed at the moment. Yesterday we taught out 3 leadinginvestigators. I suppose you might want to know about them...Julie-- She is 23, never believed in God before the missionaries tractedinto her last month. She now knows that God is her father, Christ is herSavior, and Joseph Smith is a prophet. She has kept ALL of her commitmentsand I know God is proud of her. She is telling her family this weekend thatshe wants to be baptized, so hopefully she will be baptized on August 25th!!Deanna-- She called for a free copy of Finding Faith in Chirst, and thesisters delivered it to her a couple weeks ago. She knows it's true andactually asked us last night when she could get baptized!!! But we startedteaching her husband from Lesson 1 last night. He says that he has a hardtime believing it, but it is so apparent in his eyes that God has preparedhim for this!! They have 2 sons that will start on the lessons if Glen saysit's ok. Last night, we gave Deanna a Proclamation to the World and theTestimony of Joseph Smith pamphlet. She called us this morning and told usthat a couple nights ago, she was praying about Joseph Smith. She knew itwas true but wanted a stronger conviction if she was going to do this withher family. She told us this morning that in a dream that night, she saw the picture of Joseph Smith in the first vision. She didn't know what itwas until she read the pamphlet last night!! Isn't it amazing how the Spirit teaches those who God has prepared!! I am so grateful for the important role I have to deliver this message by the Spirit! God loves his children! I see that everyday!!

Galen-- Ok, so Julie and Deanna started the lessons before I got here, but with Galen...I was here from the beginning! His wife is a member, and has been since before they got married (3 years ago). They both have children from previous marriages and her two children live with them. Galen has been going to church for the last month or so, but they live in Franklin, so we didn't know about him until the day that I got here. On the phone, he said he wanted to be baptized and was told that we needed to talk to him first. We drove up to Franklin on Friday and Sunday. We've taught him almost all of the lessons and we will finish up this Wednesday before he is interviewed by the DL. He is getting baptized this Saturday. It's amazing to see the difference he has shown in the last week. We met with him in Harrisonburg last night. The first night we taught him, we taught the first two lessonsand the Word of Wisdom. He had already quit smoking and drinking a while ago, but he was still dipping. After the lesson, he committed to stop and he hasn't done it since 5pm Friday!! It is so obvious to see how the Lord has prepared him and how the Spirit is helping him. His wife, Charity, told us that we must be doing something right because he has never worked so hard for any of the Elders. I know that this is flattering, but it's not true. Galen is ready. God knows he's ready! And we were just privileged to be at the right place at the right time!! I love these people! I love this place! I know this is the greatest message the world has ever heard!! How lucky am I that I get to deliver it!!

Ok, now about Virginia and West Virginia-- I have never seen so many non-lds churches in my life! They are everywhere and the marquees are HILARIOUS!!I'll have to start writing them down! I'm going to send this and then write another one, to make sure that all of this does get sent!
I love you!!
Sister Abbott