May 10, 2010 - Oakdale, LA

Hello friends and family!

It was so nice talking to you and I miss and love you all. Anyway, this week was great! We achieved the Standard again! And just so you know, the Standard is a certain number that everyone is supposed to achieve mission wide. I never achieved it in Houma, so this has been pretty exciting. On Friday we had an appointment with a girl named Heather and she forgot about it, so we were only able to meet with her for a few minutes. But it was a great few minutes. She has so many questions of the soul!!!!! She kept asking things like how do we know what church to join? And we gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon and we are supposed to go and teach her tomorrow I think. But she really needs the Gospel right now. They've been dealing with some problems with drugs and it's kind of snapped her into reality. She said the had the "I need to be responsible" light click on. She has a 4-year-old boy named Gavin, so I hope she really means that. Ah, she is great though. I will have to let you know how it goes.

Reggie is awesome. Sister Thomas and I have both had a feeling that Reggie will have to fast to get his answer to whether or not he should be baptized. So we commited him to fast about it. And he is going to this week I believe. It's great because Reggie has realized the difference in his week from when he comes to church and when he doesn't. And from when he reads and when he doesn't. So he is really keeping his commitments now and it's great. We taught him the song "Follow the Prophet" and he thought it was a cute song. If anything, I think it's catchey! I mean, it's stuck in your head all the time once you sing all of the verses... there are 10 verses that we sing. So the chorus really gets pounded into your brain.

We had interviews this week and President told me that we could go and hold a Book of Mormon study at the Prison. So I think we are going to try and set that up this week. Ha, I asked President if we could go and put a Book of Mormon in the Prison (because Sister Thomas said we couldn't teach there), and he said "Yes of course! You can go hold a Book of Mormon study if you want! It's not like they are going to kill you, they are guarded!" So ha, we are going to try that this week.

I wanted to also give you a little poem that I love:

But the King Could

By Unknown

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

All the King's horses and all the king's men

Couldn't put Humpty together again

But the King Could

The King full of grace appeared at the scene

And put back the egg like he'd ne'er foreseen

On the shell not a crack and the egg looked like new

But the inside still scrambled, Humpty asked what to do.

"Oh Master," he said, "on the outside I'm well,

But on the inside I'm not--I'm sorry I fell.

Is there something to do that would restore my yolk

'Cause I don't feel quite whole if inside I'm broke."

"My child," said the King, "That's just what I do,

But not by myself, I also need you.

You must be sincere, your hear contrite,

Just don't fall again, please try with your might."

"I won't," said the egg, "I'll try not to fall,"

Then Humpty was whole, inside and all.

So if you ever fall and your insides feel broke,

Just remember our fellow and his scrambled up yolk.

Most, remember the King and how He heals the fall,

Passed below all mankind, then He rose above all.

Isn't that such a cute poem? I love it! We truly do need to remember that we may seem like we are fixed, but many of us are still broken on the inside. And only one person can help heal us. Jesus Christ. When we let him in our lives and let him heal us, anything is possible. We can forgive people and have those burdens be lifted. It's important that we remember that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ all can be healed. And when we are wronged by someone else, we can feel the sweet peace of forgiving. The Atonement is amazing and I have truly loved studying it this last transfer. It has helped me realize how we will never truly understand it.

I am so grateful for all of you and I hope you know how much I love each and every one of you.

You are the best and I hope all is well.

Love you,

Sister Stacy Earl