May 26th, 2014

-----------Music Everywhere------

Tomorrow Sister Brown and I are doing a musical number for DDM on the ukulele! Yesterday, a member let us borrow two of them. She is going to sing "I lived in Heaven" while we both play a hawiian like tune. It will be so fun! She knows how to play the banjo, so she picked up the ukulele quick, she use to go to school at BYU-Hawaii.

Then, last week we were in charge of another musical number for a devotional. We did, He sent his Son. I played the piano, an Elder played the violin, and Sister Brown, Montoya, and Borglauthaus sang it once in english and then in spanish! It was great!

--------Other new, my friends got baptized! -----------

Pvt Milian was baptized at Fort Jackson. He was baptized by Pvt. Henson, who was only baptized two weeks ago! It was amazing because I had the opportunity to teach Pvt. Henson the commandments before he was baptized which is where I met Pvt. Milian. He was his battle buddy. Then Pvt. Milian studied, prayed, came to church, was taught more lessons by other missionaries and now he is baptized! Its the best.

Also, Mark Ward was baptized in Hopkins!! Mark came to our ward for a couple of months and we taught him for a good while and set him up to be baptized. Mark's fellowshipper is in our ward, so we always taught him here in Lexington, but because he lives in Hopkins, he needed to be baptized there. So recently we handed him off the Hopkins Sisters. They did a wonderful job finishing up the other half of the lessons and helping him to come closer to Christ through baptism. I wish I could have been there!

-----------Church------------

This week I gave a talk in Church on faith. It was so much fun! One of the speakers after me gave a great talk. He told some funny stories about moving to the South and sweet tea.  You know you live in the south when....you learn about sweet tea during sacrament!

-----------Please Pray------

Stacy was suppose to be baptized on Saturday, but all week she has been sick with Bronchitis. She was too sick to be baptized on Saturday, so she is going to be baptized this week with Julian, our other investigator. Please pray that they will both be able to make it! Also please pray that Pvt. Thompson can come to church this week so that Pvt.Vidal can be baptized. Pvt. Vidal was suppose to be baptized yesterday, but the solider who was going to baptize him missed church because Pvt. Thompson's battle buddy broke some rules and consequently they both got in trouble.

--------Service, it will soften some hearts--------

Recently, we have been teaching a lady whose husband is not to open to us. She is awesome and is going to be baptized in the coming month, but her husband still is weary of us. Well the other day, she needed help. She was sick and her house was very messy. So we got her children together and cleaned that house! We scrubbed the floors, dishes, vacuumed, cleaned the porch, picked up trash, moved shoes and clothes, basically we did it all! Well her husband came home when we were about cleaning and saw us. He said, what are you doing?! You know you don't have to do that. But we kept cleaning, and what more, we involved their little kids who cleaned their own room for like the first time. He was so impressed and is now more of our friend! Yes! It felt so good to serve. To see a need and just help with it. 

--------The Book of Mormon Resolves Concerns-------

This week, we used the BOM a lot in contacting. It is amazing to see how much it can resolve concerns. I know that the BOM truly testifies of Christ. 

President Hinckley, a prophet of God, said this about the BOM: "The Book of Mormon has come forth by the gift and power of God. It speaks as a voice from the dust in testimony of the Son of God. It speaks of His birth, of His Ministry, of His Crucifixion and Resurrection, and of His appearance to the righteous in the land of Bountiful and on the American continent."

President Joseph F. Smith declared, "No member of this church can stand approved in the presence of God who has not seriously and carefully read the Book of Mormon."

In the introduction to the Book of Mormon it states, " We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon and ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father in the name of Christ, if the book is true. Those pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (Moroni 10:3-5) ."

I know the Book of Mormon is true because I have read it and prayed about it. I have felt the Holy Ghost testify to me that it is the word of God and I know that he will testify the same truth to you. I feel the Spirit when I read the Book of Mormon. I invite all of y'all to revamp your Book of Mormon reading. I know that it is so important to read it every day. I know that if you do that, that you will have the Spirit more abundantly with you. I can promise you, as a representative of Jesus Christ, that that is true. 

Love y'all!

Sister Anderson

1) I ran into Bishop Christ and Sister Christ and Sister Earl at transfers!

2) This is the Fentons, they went home last week. This is us at Ft. Jackson

3) Sister Bell, Montoya, and Brown and I

Sister Bell is a friend from back home and Sister Montoya knows the Star's family! Small world

1) Us with Gracelyn and Hailee

2) Sister Bell and Montoya

3) Stacy our investigator getting baptized very soon and her two daughters. We helped make these dresses! They came to the ward potluck/talent show and sang songs from Frozen

June 2nd, 2014

This week was the week of random events!

 

---------Here is my favorite event:-------------

 

Julian was baptized and confirmed in Lexington! He is a 9 year old boy. His Father joined the church 2 years ago, and then a couple months ago moved to Lexington. The ward had his address, but only to the trailer park, not the home number. Sister Dougherty and I searched for a couple weeks on and off and then miracle, found them, now 3 months later. He is a member of the church!

 

We asked him how he felt after being baptized and he responded "wet and radiant".

 

Also, Pvt. Vidal and Winnie were baptized at Fort Jackson! I have been teaching Pvt. Vidal for a couple weeks now, I am so glad that he has been baptized. He seems so happy and confident that this will bless his life. I know that it will. It is so much fun/weird to have soilders at Ft. Jackson that I know from school and home.

 

I met a soilder who joined the church in 2011, she is now 20. She is in Peter Scheelde's home ward in Webster. Small world!

 

------------We lost their cat------------------

 

Saturday at 4:40pm, we went to vist our investigator Anthony (12), his Mom, and his Nana. We knocked on the door and they said come in, so we opened the door WHEN his favorite and only cat Tiger, ran outside once we opened the door. Tiger is an indoor cat, if you see the problem.

 

Well we chased this cat around the property, near an old abandonded home, under trees', through bushes, etc. It was so hot outside as I am crawling through bushes on my hands and knees trying to catch this cat, thinking "we just lost our investigators cat, we have to find it". So Anthony, Sister Brown, Nana, and I are all trying to catch it. Honestly, I have prayed and don't know what to do.

 

Well finally, the cat starts walking closer to home and we have him cornered under a tree WHEN a huge black lab comes out of now where! And runs towards us. Satan was working hard this week. So now we are all under the tree. The cat see's the dog and tenses up, the dog see's the cat, everyone is getting worried and scared. Some people are trying to shoo the dog away, some are trying to be its friend, its just a mess. ....miracuoulsy, we get the dog away,  the cat jumps into Nan's arms, the owner of the dog pulls up in the car, and all is well.

 

Now it is like 5:25. Our whole day seemed to be like that, so we just went and got frozen yogurt for dinner. That helped. I know that Heavenly Father helped us catch this cat. He helped us get the dog away. He helped us not get posion oak after crawling through trees's with it (oops, found out afterward). He just helped us a lot. I am so grateful! I know that prayer works.

 

---------We were baptized--------------------------------

 

Last week, President took the Leadership Council to the Temple where we did baptisms for the dead. He baptized all of us. It was so special! It was such a wonderful privledge to have been able to do that.

 

For those of you who are wondering that this is, I will explain. We belive that we must be baptized to "enter into the Kindgom of God", but not all people have that chance while here on earth. So Heavenly Father, in his love and wisdom, has provided a way for us to be baptized in proxy on behalf of those who are deased. These baptisms take place in the Temple under the same Priesthood authority that Jesus Christ held. Once we are baptized on behalf of another person, they recieve the option in the Spirit World either to accept or reject this baptism.

 

(Questions?: Watch this 5 minute video entiteld, "Temples" atwww.mormonchannel.org/intro-to-the-church" )

 

I am grateful that Jesus Christ set the perfect example for us by being baptized.

 

--------My Companion----------------

 

Sister Brown and I are still getting a long great. I am so grateful that she is my companion, I just feel such a peace teaching with her.

 

--------Follow Up-------------

 

Stacy is feeling better and should be baptzied very soon! She recently had a family emergency with her Grandfather's health. So she could still use some prayers! Also please pray, that Ashley will be able to come to church!

 

The prayer worked! Pvt Thompson came to church to baptize Pvt. Vidal and Julian was able to be baptized. Thank you, thank you for your prayer. I really appreciate it!

 

--------Mail-------

 

I don't believe that there is any more mail problems in our mission! All is well to put "Sister" on my mail again. Thanks! I never experienced any problems. I believe it was more outgoing mail than in-going mail that experience difficulties, but none the less, better safe than sorry!

 

----------Scripture on Prayer-----

 

When Jesus Christ came to the America's, he taught the people how to pray and then he prayed with them. At one point, after praying, he said to them "Pray on" and it says that "nevertheless, they did not cease to pray." (3 Nephi 19:26)

 

I know that it is so important to have a prayer in your heart always. This week, we had our plans change again and again, and I know that prayer helped us adapt well. We found ourselves needing to counsel with God even more so than usual.

 

"Counsel with the Lord in all thy doing, and he will direct thee for good....let thy heart be full of thanks unto God. (Alma 37:37)

 

I invite all y'all to have a prayer in your heart always, while you are driving, during a hard talk with someone, during school, work, just always! Will y'all do that?

 

I know that as you focus on your prayers more, you will be more aware of God's influence in your life and that he will be able to "direct" you more for good.

-----------------------------------------------

Love ya!

Sister Susan Anderson

110 Oak Park Dr #B

Irmo, SC 29063

anderson.susan@myldsmail.net

June 9th, 2014

This week I thought that I would share some personal stories with y'all.

 

Heavenly Father Answered Our Prayer--------------

 

We have been teaching an investigator named Floyd for a few months now. He is amazing! He has read Our Search for Happiness, the Joseph Fielding Smith Book, is reading the Book of Mormon, plus he is now on Lorenzo Snow, prophets of the church. That being said, he is very close to knowing that this is true, but hasn't quite gotten the answer he is looking for yet.

 

We love Floyd and have been praying mightly to know what to do to help him. We went to his home and taught him about the Word of Wisdom for the second time.

 

The Word of Wisdom is a commandment given from God for our bodies. Becuase our physical condition affects us spiritually, Heavenly Father has asked that we put good healthy food in our body and keep thigns that are harmful out. In particular: Coffee, Tea, Tobacoo, Illegal Drugs, Alcohol, and anything harmful or addictive.

 

As we were leaving the lesson, Clara ( his wife who is a returning member of the church ) read from D&C 89:19 " And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures." That's when it hit me! I looked Floyd in the eyes and promised him that if he would live the Word of Wisdom for a week, that he would have his answer. That he would have a fire in his heart and know that the church was true!

 

Sister Brown and I just felt the largest feeling of peace come over us in that moment. I know that was a promsie from God. Floyd wants to know the truth and now he will. I love Floyd and Clara!

 

Heavenly Father Protected Us-------------------------------------------------------

 

On Sunday night, we were walking down nighbrohood street to get back to our car to go home for the night. We are walking with a member, who went teaching with us, when a giant gray pitbull comes chasing us down the road. Usually Sister Brown and I aren't too intimidated by dogs, but this one scared us! We just kept walking, by this point, it's owner is calling it and it isn't listening too well.  Once it got close to us, it just stopped dead in its tracks. And we were able to go safetly home. I know that Heavenly Father protected us from that Dog!

 

Heavenly Father Guided Us-----------------------------

 

This week, I was on an exchange in Chapin with Sister Billin. We had just left Sandbar and were driving towards home. We had 15 minutes left and didn't know where to go. So Sister Billin pulled over in a gas station to think, because our back up plans had fell through. She decideds to go back. So we drive back and knock on a house. They politley tell us to leave.

 

We get back in the car and she asks me where I thought we should go. At first I was thinking, I have no clue! I didn't know the area, but I knew how to pray. So I silently prayed. The prompting came to me to "go back the way we came". This seemed crazy! That meant a waste of miles. But it came again, so I told her "I think we should go back the way we came." She said ok.

 

She starts describing how there is nothing inbetween us and the gas station, but one neighbrhood that they had already knocked. As we get close she asks me for my opinion if we should take a left and go there. I say yes. Then she says that there is a dirt street we can knock or a subdivision. I choose the subdivision because its getting dark and we don't have much time to walk. Well we pull in and end up at a cross road, trying to decide where to go. Just as we are about  to just randomly decide where to go, it hits her. She exclaims, "I know where we are suppose to go, we are supose to see Kelly!" Then she exictedly drives there.

 

She explains that they met Kelly and month ago and she had said, come back in a month. So we went there. She had a big moving sign in front of her house and guess what. Her realtor is a less-active member of the ward. We approach the door and initially she isn't too interested. We have small talk and she says come back in a few months.

 

This doesn't work for us! We decide to tell her about our testimony of the Book of Mormon and then we tell her our story about finding her. We testify that God led us to her house. She admits that she was having a bad day and believes us. She then says, you are welcom to come by any time that you feel that you should. Her heart softened and we were able to pray for her and her family with her at the door.

 

I know that Heavenly Father guided us. It made no sense to me to go back the way we came, but I knew that it was an anwer to my prayer from God. So often we think that we need to know a lot about the scriptures to be able to share them. We need to know the area to be able to be guided to find who God wants us to teach. Those things may help, but they aren't important. Heavenly Father is the master architect, the master painter, we are just his tools. He can use us in what ever way he pleases to accomplish his purpose. He works with the humble and the pure in heart.

 

That night, we had a humble prayer in our heart, pleading for His guidance and help. He won't leave us alone. He will help us accomplish His plan. I know this is true.

 

Baptims ----------------------------------------------

 

Pvt. Lathrop was baptized yesterday! I had the privledge of teaching him. He needed to have two lessons before he was interviewed to be baptised and I only had 15 minutes to teach it. Amazingly, I was able to do with Heavenly Father's help. I know that he answered my prayered to assist me to be able to teach it so quickly yet have him understand the importance. His battle buddy was able to lend his testimony and help. It was beautiful the Spirit that I felt.

 

Invitation---------------------

 

I know that the Holy Ghost will guide us in our life, if we let him.

 

The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He is a personage of Spirit, he does not have a body of flesh and bones like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. His purpose is to guide us in life, to comfort us, and to confirm truth, just to name a few things. The Holy Ghost whispers. He can: bring memories to our mind to prompt us, help us to feel good inside when we know a decision we made is right, and just simply guide us. Sometimes people refer to this as our consious.

 

Before baptism we can feel Him, but it is only after baptism by the authority of God, that we can have him as our constant companion through out life.

 

My invitation to y'all is to look for the Spirit in your life. Look for his gently nudging. You may have to turn down your music to hear him, or turn off your t.v., or apologise to someone when you said something that wasn't right, that was not in harmony with Christ's teachings.

 

I promise you that if you pray and look for his guidance you will feel him. There is a price to be payed, we must be clean. The Spirit can only dwell in clean places, so live worthily. 1 Corinithinans 6:19 "... know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you." Clean out and declutter your life of things that take away from the Spirit so that he can come and stay more.

 

I know this is true. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

 

Love Ya,

Sister Anderson

 

P.S. Everything should be fixed with the mail!

 

 

June 16th, 2014

Happy Moments-------------

 

(Background)

Mark came to the Lexington ward off and on for 3 years. He grew up with a member, but for the past 7 years, he secretly investigated the church! His buddy Brother Bass would make comments about the gospel during work, or comments about how Mark should be baptized for his eternal welfare, etc. haha. Well we (Sister Doughterty and I) taught Mark for a few months here in Lexington at Brother Bass' home, but Mark acutally lives 30 minutes away in Hopkins, so once he was on date and set for baptism, we transitioned him over to the Hopkins Sisters to finish teaching him. He has a wife and 3 children.

 

Mark was baptized 3 weeks ago, and I haven't seen him for proably 7 weeks, becuase he has been going to the Hopkins ward. This Sunday, I was holding the door for people and welcoming them into church, WHEN Mark came walking through the door! I was so excited to see him!!

 

He just looks so happy. There is a light in his eyes and I know that it is the Spirit. I just had so much fun seeing him and church and talking to him about everything. It made my day!!

 

Update--------------

 

For those of you who didn't hear, my family moved to Morgan, Utah! They get the keys to the new home tonight. Fun, fun. Please pray for them as they continue to move things in, that it will all go well!

 

Miracle Moment---------

 

We found this incredible family! When we knocked on the door, they were not to interested, but soon they kept asking more, and more questions. We taught them and they invited us back. We went back to the Blackwell family and taught another lesson, they loved it! Well as we were leaving, Mrs. Blackwell says. "Oh, you are Sisters. My Uncle has been meeting with Sisters.." Then she describes his home and the road and we know it can only be one person. Danny Pridgen! Our recent convert in March! She always assumed that he met with Jehovah Witnesses, not Latter-Day Saints. Great Moment! It is such a small world!!

 

Taking the Hurt and Making it Help--------

 

This week, I found out that my Grandmother passed away back at home in California. It was hard to hear, but I just felt a complete peace. She had been sick for a long time and I am glad to know that she does not hurt anymore.

 

So, personally, when I am going through something hard, I don't like to necessarily talk about it (certainly not share it over email), I kind of hold it in and deal with it that way, but this week I did something a little different.

 

I shared in four lessons, when prompted buy the Spirit, what had happened and then bore my testimony on how I felt about God and his plan for us. Here are the results:

----------------

Dagmar: She was dealing with the anniverary of the death of her daughter and many other hard things in life. She needed hope. She was the first person, I shared my story with. I read with her out of Moroni and Ether on how we need to have faith and hope. I was able to connect with her on that level for the first time. This time, she really listened. She noticed that I choose to serve a mission and not leave my mission and go home for a funeral. That made her realize the importance of this message. (Moroni 7:41-42, Ether 12:4)

 

Blackwells: A contact at the door that was begining to go slightly downhill. We urgently wanted them to know the truth of this. The Mother commented about her Grandmother passing a year ago. My companion had a momentary hurt look in her eyes as I knew that she was thinking of me during that comment.

 

I decided in that moment to tell her what had happened only a few days eariler. I testified that the BOM was what helped me to deal with this. It is what helped me to feel peace, to know that God has a plan. I left her with a specific part to read, her eyes started to water. A week later when we came back she had read. She told me, without me asking, that she read the chapter that had helped me. I was shocked!

 

Dan: A dear friend of ours who has been struggling with drinking. It breaks my heart, becuase the whole time I knew him, he was 3 months sober and loved the gospel. I saw it change him. It is so hard to seem him like this. Well he was drunk when we saw him and he said we could come back on Saturday for a project but could not guarentee that he would not be drunk. The past few weeks that we have seen him, he has been this way. We have tried and tried to help him to quit but thus far had been unsucessful in helping him actually do it.

 

I told him that the gospel was imporant, that God was real and was able to help him, then I told him how it hurt to see him like this. I then tearfully shared that Saturday was my Grandmothers funeral and I asked him to not make it any harder on me by seeing him drunk. He had a somber look in his eyes (his Mother had just passed a few months earlier), he said ok, he wouldn't drink before we were there.

 

Jan: We met her once, talked to her, taught her and left her with the BOM. Jan read a huge part of  the BOM but didn't feel anything and wanted to hand it back to us and not learn more. I asked her if she prayed specifically and she said no. I asked to share a special story. I told her how I knew my Grandmother was sick and didn't have much longer and how I prayed on my knees each night for 2 weeks or so, specificaly asking to have peace when she did pass. I testified that peace came immedietly when she did. That specific prayers receieve specific answers. She decided to keep the book, listen to a lesson, and let us come back.

 

Conclusion--------

It was hard to share to share that with these people, but I knew that I needed to. When I did, my companion and I felt a change in the room and in the people. The Spirit came very strongly and helped these wonderful people and it helped me. My Grandmother passing has been hard, but its has strengthened my testimony even more that families are eternal. What has been hard for me, has been such an aid to missionary work. My Grandma was a great missionary, I am grateful that she can continue to be!

 

I know that Heavenly Father gives us testimonies for a reason. Testimonies of Him and of trials that we have been through in life. I know that when we share these tender experiences with others that miracles happen. The atmosphere changes as we are sincere. The people change as they feel the Spirit. And we change as we feeel it work through us. When I truly bear my testimony, I feel it build me up just as it helps build up another.

 

I know that the Holy Ghost is real and that he is powerful. When we bear our testimony of Christ he enters the room. I know that Christ lives. I know that becuase of him, I can live again and that my Grandmother can live again. I am so grateful for that.

 

I am grateful for God's plan and the peace that comes from knowing that we will be able to return to live with Him again someday. That knowledge alone can change our lives forever. We are so blessed to know it. Y'all have a wonderful week.

 

This week for my invitation: Go onto:

 

http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/plan-of-salvation

 

 and read it. Then think about who you can share that with. I know that this knowledge does bless lives. Love ya'll!

 

Love,

Sister Anderson

110 Oak Park Dr. #B

Irmo, SC

June 20th, 2014

Good Morning! Sorry for not sending an email last week!

 

I wanted to make up for it by telling you all about Ft. Jackson this week. ----------------

 

1) Well first off, I didn't get transfered! Yay! I am still with Sister Brown in Lexington/Ft. Jackson Military base!

 

2) Pvt. Applebaum is a young lady in her early 20's. She joined the church about two years ago and is amazing! She is always smiling when I see her, which says a lot being in basic training. She is such a good example and always brings friends to church, the last friend that she, Carr, and Lancaster brought was Pvt. Mainville who was baptized two weeks ago!

 

So Pvt. Applebaum has 4 sets of uniforms that she wears for 10 weeks. One Sunday she proudly smiles and tells me that she is wearing her Sunday clothes. I look a little confused. She asks if hers looks cleaner and then explains that she only wear these ones on Sunday. She just wear the other 3 instead. She is amazing. She finds ways to honor the honor the sabath day even in basic training.

 

3) We were sitting in benches right outside the chapel doors waiting for the sacerment to be passed. Just then 3 soilders come running up, out of breath, sweating to the doors. They calmly open them and stand revently still waiting for the sacerment.

 

When you are in basic training they give you a bus ride to church, but when you are in AIT (Advanced Individual Training 10 weeks) you don't get a ride, you have to walk and go to church during your breakfast hour. So usually the soilders have to walk about 1 1/2 minimum one way. They ran to church to make it for the sacerment. Dedication!

 

4) I turn to one of my friends at the base and say, next week bring some friends! He looks at me with this confused face and then points to a group of soilders. He had already brought 5 friends that weeks! I love member missionary work at Ft. Jackson!

 

5) Pvt. Jones was baptized! He is a young soilder for Tennessee. I was able to teach him a couple of times and he is so humble! When I was teaching the commandments this is what happened:

 

"Well the next commandment that we want to talk about is called the Law of Chasitity. It involves keeping our physical bodies clean because our bodies are temples...". I get that far when he cuts in. "CAN I STILL EAT PIZZA?!" I look so confused, like where did that come from? He has this earnest look on his face. Then I realized that he is talking about the word of wisdom, so I teach that one next then go back to the Law of Chastity. He accepts all the commandments and gets baptized.

 

6) So Pvt. Jones was interviewed and ready to be baptized, but he needed someone to do it. So Sister Brown and walk into sacerment, point to two soilders and have them come out: Pvt. Hill (his fellowshipper who I went to college with) and Pvt. Ashby. We explain that Jones is being baptized right now and that we would like them to baptized and confirm. They look momentarily shocked, and say yes and follow us to change and get interviewd to be able to baptize. I just love that we can pull soilders out of church (towards the end of serivce) and they are worthy, able, and willing to baptize.

 

Fort Jackson is an amazing place! I love it!----------

 

"...therefore endure harness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." 2 Timothy 2:3

 

Even though we are not in basic training, I know that we are all soilders of Jesus Christ. He is our commander and chief and we are here on earth to do his will, to follow his example and every command. We can greater follow him in the fight for truth by following the example of these amazing soilders today by:

 

[ in order of the stories]

 

1) Staying active in the church

2) Respecting the sabbath day

3) Coming to church, not matter the cost to take the sacerment

4) Sharing the gospel

5) Asking questions for understanding and accepting the commandments

6) Being ready and willing to serve

 

I know that Jesus Christ lives and that we are children of God. I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers becuase He certainly answered mine this week. I also know that this cause of spreading the gospel is so imporant, it is vital. We need this truth to return home to live with God again forever, so go out and share it! Will you do that? I know that if you do, lives will be changed and testimonies strengthened. Be a good soilder!

 

Love Ya'll

Sister Anderson

 

 (reminder: the mail is just fine now )

P.S. Thank you so much for all of the love and support y'all give me!