You are all wonderful people!

Hello!

First of all, thank you! Oh man, I am so blessed with the most incredible people EVER in my life. Thank you so much for all you do to support and encourage me. Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes! Thank you for the emails, cards, presents, wow. You are so sweet and kind and I just love you so much. Thank you!  You of course will all be getting letters from me to tell you personally - I wish I had time to write you all back today!! I'm sorry that I do not. Lately we've had about an hour or less each P-day for letter writing. So I'm sorry that it will take a while to respond to you all, so I just wanted to say thank you a lot a lot! I really appreciate it a ton!

So this week was grand! Our bishop is on FIRE right now! He was already such a good missionary bishop, but that conference set him off! He was visiting people with us all day yesterday. He visited a less active member with us, Jasmyn, and expressed his love and desire for her to come back, and bore powerful testimony. She was in tears. It was just what she needed. We can tell people we love them and want them to come back all we want, but it is so much more meaningful when members, especially the bishop, say so. She said she's been wanting to come back but has been scared of the way people will see her since she hasn't been doing well. The bishop told her how church is her home, and to always remember that. It was amazing. She said she is going to come back. Taking care of the members we already have is such an important part of missionary work! Just like they said in the conference.

Speaking of that, THANK YOU ALL FOR WATCHING IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think communication about church stuff is better in Utah, because hardly any of our members saw it! That's why I stressed it so much in my letter last week that  you all see it. So yay! Thank you! Thanks for being awesome missionaries! I'm excited to continue hearing about your experiences!

On a more somber note, an amazing member of our ward, a 60 year old woman named Estela, who has been battling cancer for 6 years, passed away this past week. She was so awesome and was so good at strengthening everyone she talked to. She was a great member missionary. Her funeral was on Friday, and it really gave me a lot to think about. Life is so short. I had the realization that day that after being trained, and after training Hna. Corniea (which will be over after this transfer) that will be six months of my mission. Whaa?? I was so shocked. That is 1/3. It is going by so fast. I feel like I just barely got her. That realization and Estela's funeral really made me refocus on living life, my mission, to the fullest. I cannot waste one moment of this incredible opportunity I have to serve as a missionary. I want to learn all I can. I want to be all I can. I want to do all I can to help save my brothers and sisters. I love this experience, and I've really come to realize how much I need to appreciate every moment I have out here. I read in this in the mission handbook today, "You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel." That hit me so much today. How can I, Amanda Cannon, possibly do Him justice - representing our Savior, Jesus Christ? But I know that I have been called to do it, and the Lord says that I am worthy to do so. Wow. What an incredibly humbling position to be in. I treasure every moment I have while I am so blessed to be called to this work.

Thanks for reading,
Hna. Cannon