Dear family and friends,

Dad! Happy birthday! I love you an I hope your birthday was awesome!  Britt!! Happy birthday bro, I know you're 'prolly on the most beautiful beach right now, but enjoy it more on you're special day. I can't believe you're 23 already man.

Sorry If this is a short letter this week but due to the holiday the libraries are all closed. :/ we did have a great holiday though. Today we were invited to the park to a barbecue with a few members in the ward. They have like 3 dogs who are all puppies and it was fun. 2 little white ones and a black lab. When we first showed up as we were setting up there was a coyote just walking around like 20 yards away. He wasn't bothering anyone and he looked super scrawny so we just let him be. I will send a picture if I get it to work on this thing. Anyways after eating we decided to hike up to the observatory and we brought the dogs along. Like half way up the little one, Bella, started crying so we threw her in my backpack for the rest of the hike. It was a funny sight to see with her little head peeking out of the zipper. Needless to say she was content and everybody we passed on the trail had a big smile. :)

I loved the valentines package and the cookies were to flipping die for! I think those are the best cookies I have had in the last year and a half.

So this week we had our zone conference and it went pretty well for a zone conference. I mean any meeting that long isn't something you really are dying to go to but it wasn't too bad. I think it's cause the APs did a really fun training.Anyways it was a good, successful week because we had a baptism in the ward and I love to see the members in my district doing work.

So last week we were feeling great about the work in our area because on Tuesday we committed a girl to baptism the first week of March. As the pattern goes though, when we are doing the Lord's work, we will encounter trials; this one is no different.  Hopefully we will have a chance to help those who love her have a better understanding of why she wants to get baptized and hopefully they will respect her decision.

I have really prayed about going to school and I feel Hawaii has always been my first choice. I feel like it will be a chance of a lifetime to go to school with britt.

I love you all soo much and pray for you.  Tell Kathy I send my best wishes and I'm praying for her.

Love,

Elder Channing Winterrose