2. can't remember if I sent this to you last week but these are the sisters in my zone!

I have struggled a little more this week with the language and have been stressed about missionary schedule and things.  So much is expected of you and it is easy to feel like you fall short.  but the Lord has asked more of me.  I was called yesterday as the Zones sister training leader (the zone leader for girls).  I am only 11 days into the MTC.  When the Branch President pulled me out and asked me, my eyes just welled up with tears.  I am scared. Scared because Chinese is hard and being a missionary is hard.  Scared because I am the "missionary of missionaries" and I don't even know what I am doing yet.  But as I sat there and excepted, he went on to say that he had no doubt that I am the one for this calling.  I was filled with so much warmth and hope.  I know that the Lord rises us to what he asks of us.  I have already felt that as I have taught lessons in Chinese and prayed for comfort when I was really struggling. After I was called though, I remembered what it says in my patriarchal blessing about being a leader among those of my gender.. and so I went and read it and it promises me that as I accept and work hard, I will be endowed with power from on high to achieve all my righteous endeavors.  Reading that helped so much. and the support of my zone has been incredible. I LOVE THEM ALL SO MUCH.  (even though the elders are so immature.  haha.  I just feel like I never left home;) 

I have also had so many tender mercies this week.  Like yesterday, me and the two zone leaders had training during study time (which stressed me out because I need study time) and I was panicked thinking, I was going to get behind and I had so many discouraging feelings.  Well, I sat down and a sister came and sat next to me, guess where she was from? China.  hah! and she was sooo nice and friendly.  So I was like "what the heck, I'll try out my chinese!" We talked for a little bit (in chinglish) and she told me that my Chinese was "fei chang hao" (really good!).  That meant so much to me... Because I feel so inadequate in class sometimes.  She was so sweet though, she even asked if we could take a picture and she did the peace sign thing.  haha It made me so happy.

I got your package!! and boy was it needed.  I took down that wasabi mix in like two days.  I LOVE that stuff.  And everything was perfect! thank you so much... I am so blessed.  

I am so proud of all of you... I got dad's dear elder about Maria and I just went in the bathroom and cried.  You are all being such powerful tools in the Lords hands.  Her life and generations to come are going to be so blessed for what she is doing.  I am so proud of her.  Give her a huge hug for me and tell her please that I know without a doubt in my mind that she is making the right decision and that I know God is smiling down on her. 

Yesterday we had a devotional from the guy who made the movies 17 miracles, the testament, forever strong and so on.  He talked a lot about the pinoneers.  I couldn't help but be so grateful for what those who have gone before me, have done for me.  the pioneers who crossed the plains, to my grandparents who live their lives in ways that I can look up to.  And for amazing parents who have taught me I can do hard things.  I am doing this now so that my future children, grandchildren, ect can look back and say "I can do this hard thing because Shayna did this"  I want to make them proud.  That is what gave me encouragemnt yesterday.  because some times during the day I am like "WOO THIS IS AWESOME!" and other times, I wonder what the heck I am doing.  

But I know that we are given the hard times so that we may know the good.  

I am so honored to be a servant of the Lord.  I can't even begin to explain it.  my heart is so full knowing that I am numbered among those of Helaman's army, bringing the world the truth of a Savior.  I know that He lives and I know that he will not take our load away but as we turn to him, he will give us strength to carry it.  

I am so sorry this email probably makes no sense.  I have so much I wish I could say and so little time.  I strudied repentance this week... It was such a coool experience.  Repentance is realigning your life with God.. its not always about sin but it is also just throwing out all the crap satan tells you and remembering who you are.

Chinese is so descriptive and beautiful.. dad, I love it.  and I can honestly say, I feel so much love from Heavenly Father for myself and for the Chinese people.

The Lord answers prayers.  He lifts us up.  and he will guide us to those who need our help.

All my love and more...

Alma 36.  its a good one.  and Isaiah 53... I've read those two so many times this week.

Dont forget about me, ok?

Sister Griffin