Catey's weekly email 10-14-09 - Talks at Baptism

FAMILY!!!!! 
So this week has been great!  We have transfers a week from today... I REALLY don't like transfers... at all! :)  Haha.  I just absolutely love my area right now, and don't want to leave.

We have a baptism tomorrow. He asked me to give a talk on baptism. Then, on Saturday, in my last area, this really amazing lady is getting baptized that I 
taught, so I get to go to that baptism as well. She asked me to play the piano. Then, next Saturday, we have another baptism. On Sunday, we are giving talks in sacrament. Did I mention that missionary work is BUSY (and that's an 
understatement)?! It has been amazing to see the Lord's hand in the work. We 
have truly seen miracles as we work diligently doing the Lord's work. It's 
amazing... We barely have time to eat lunch and dinner (we teach A LOT of 
lessons - yesterday we taught 7) and I am completely exhausted, physically and 
mentally... but the amazing part is that I don't even realize that I'm exhausted 
until I get home at night and we start to plan. After planning, I change, brush 
my teeth, wash my face, pray (personal and companion) and literally fall into my 
bed and I'm out.  
 
Ok, so to answer your questions... Yes, I have my medicine. About that, I hate 
to ask this but can you put $50 in my account by next Thursday, and in your next 
email let me know how much is in there? I'm going to have Sister Sonne fill this 
prescription for this month and then I should be set for the next 3 months 
(Usually, one bottle lasts me 2 months). I did get my flu shot. It hurt... :) 
It's getting cold, but I have enough winter clothes to keep warm. I do usually 
print off your letters so that I can read them later. The name of my 
dermatologist is Dr. Brown, but I usually see Angela when I go there. She is 
AMAZING! I hope everything works out for you. Tell Grandma good luck and that 
she is in my prayers. I put all of your names in the prayer roll when I went 
this morning. And please know that you are all in my prayers. I LOVE you all and 
appreciate everything you do for me, and especially for the prayers. I 
definitely need them. Missionary work is hard sometimes, but it is worth every 
moment. Thank you for your testimonies. They are what keep me going sometimes... 
Please don't ever forget that I love you and more importantly our Father in 
Heaven loves you. Have an amazing week! Keep up the great missionary work. 
Member involvement is soooo key! I am proud of all of you. 
 
Well, since it's our last P-Day, our zone is going to watch "Forever Strong" so 
I better go. ;) 
 
Love always, 
Sister Stroud 
 
P.S. It's not completely like the sister missionary movie. It IS sort of like 
the Best Two Years, but then again it has been a LONG time since I've seen that 
movie. 

Catey's weekly email 10-7-09 - Sis. Stroud attends General Conference

Dear Family,

Thank you so much for your testimonies.  They always uplift me.

First of all, I just want to let you know that it was not against the rules for me to call James and DeAnn.  I'm just not allowed to talk to them, and we were trying to decide if we wanted to do an endowment session or  initatories.  So, I asked my companion if she would talk to James if I called him.  She agreed, but I don't want to you think that I'm breaking any rules, because I'm not.  I'm a perfect missionary. :) Haha. Just kidding.  But I'm working hard to becoming one.:) (Mother's Note: Catey is a very obedient person in general - if she thought she was doing something that was breaking a rule she would not do it).  I'm so excited to see you all in April.  Do you think Cindy would let you bring Ccodie so I could meet her... and give her tons of kissess???  That would be so awesome!  I'm so excited to see you all!  Did DeAnn say how the temple was?  How's the job search coming, dad?  I'm glad mom is liking 3rd grade. 

Second of all,  I just wanted to say THANK YOU!!! I screamed when I got my package last night! You know you're a missionary when... your favorite day of the week is Tuesday, because that's the day you get mail.:)  I got a letter from Grandma and Grandpa Hilton and from Aunt Kay.  Man, I miss everyone.  And I NEEDED everything in that package.  Seriously, I bought some cheap razors because I couldn't find the razor blades for my good razor, and was just thinking a couple of days ago... I need some shaving cream.  And food is ALWAYS good.  And of course I am freezing, so I was extremely excited to see warm clothes. It's like you could read my mind of what I needed.:)  My companions say thank you too.  They loved it!  They think it's so sweet that you would get them something too. :)

Conference was amazing!  We got Plaza 1 section tickets for the Sunday p.m. session.  We went to all of the sessions in the conference center, except for the Saturday PM session.  We watched that one in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  It was so amazing watching it in the conference center... and as a missionary.  I felt the Spirit so strong, and my testimony was strengthened so much.  I wish I would have know that James and DeAnn were there.  I would have looked for them!  I saw and took pictures with) a lot of people I know.  I saw Danielle Lussier there (she is in Catey's home ward).  She is so adorable.  I also saw my roommates, and some other friends from college.

I am so grateful that I have such a loving family.  In the conference center, the prophet and his counselors walk in a few minutes before confernce starts.  The thousands of people that are there get really quiet and everyone stands up all at once.  I got chills, and a sense of peace, as the prophet of God walked in the room.  I am so grateful for a living prophet on the earth.  I know, without any doubt, that President Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet of God on the earth.  He DOES receive revelation for the people of this earth.  It is through heeding his counsel and the words of the Book of Mormon that we will be able to return to live with our Father in Heaven.  I wish I had my notes with me from conference, but there was one talk (I don't remember who gave it)... but in my notes I wrote, "SO TRUE! Tell mom and dad thank you.  They are the reason I am who I am."  It was talking about how there isn't one family home evening or family prayer that changes your life, but all of them.. Like the strokes in a painting.  All of them come together to make the painting beautiful.  I believe that with all of my heart and soul.  I know that sometimes you don't feel like you are good parents, but I am here to tell you that that is Satan trying to get to you.  You ARE good parents, and I don't know what I did to deserve you as my parents, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.  If my husband and I could be half of the parents that you both are, then I know my kids will have good parents.  I wouldn't be the person, the missionary, I am if it weren't for you all.  There is a quote that I like that says:

"A missionary is someone who leaves there family for a sort time so others can be with theirs for eternity."

It dawned on me during conference that you are a part of every baptism I have even though you don't know the people who are baptized just because I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you.  I LOVE you ALL so much and am so grateful for ALL of the amazing support that I receive.  I know that this is the true church, and I CANNOT deny it.  In the name of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love,

Sister Stroud

Catey's weekly email 10-1-09 - 2 baptisms

FAMILY!!!

Ok, so I know, but this is going to be somewhat short... AGAIN.  No tengo usar el banao pero esta computadora es muy despacio. (translation: I don't have to use the bathroom but this computer is SLOW! So... thank you so much for handling my medical issues. I got to talk to dad yesterday.  That was the highlight of my day, week and mission. :)  It was so good to hear his voice.  I can't wait unitl Christmas! Could you send me my winter clothes???   Also, will you send me another thing of foundation?  I'm really sorry to ask, but when I have to wear make-up every day, it goes a lot faster.  If you would send my NAU sweatpants with my winter clothes, that would be FANTASTIC.  It is soooo cold.  It is already snowing on the mountains, and it's only a matter of time before it snows here!

Ok, so good news... I talked to my mission president yesterday, and he said that I can go to DeAnn's endowment (Will you forward this to her PLEASE, or tell her the following).  I would LOVE to go and see her and James (which is totally ok with my presdient - he even said that if you guys come into town I could get permission to see you).  The only thing is that if I go to her endowment it would have to be the 8 a.m. session on a Wednesday morning (my P-day).  Then, I could be there.  Tell her no pressure.  If that doesn't work, it's totally ok.  I won't be offended, but that is the only way that I would be able to seem them.  Just let her know.  I  really want to see them.  I've been a  little homesick lately, so I think it might actually be good, but I totally understand if it doesn't work out. :)

Let's see, what else?  I'm so glad everyone is doing good.  I always pray for you all and I hope you know how much I love you.  It's good to hear how everyone is progressing.  I know I am.

We had two baptisms this past Saturday (my 3rd and 4th baptisms, so far).  It was sooo amazing!  I love this family.  They are planning on being sealed in a year.  They are amazing!  When we come back to my mission in a year and a half, they are 1st on the list of people I want you all to meet.

Anyways, I better go before the email gets deleted.  That seems to be the tradition of late.  I am so excited for conference on Saturday and Sunday (we have CLOSE UP seats)!  Yay for sister missionaries in the Utah Salt Lake mission!!!! :)

Anyways, I LOVE you all so much... more that you will ever know.  I love this gospel.  I know without any doubt in my heart that it is true.  Thank you for everything you ALL do for me.  You (and your amazing testimonies) are truly a blessing in my life!  I'm soooo sorry if I'm such a horrible writer.  We don't get a lot of time, but I do what I can.  Thank you for your support.

Yo testifico que la iglesia de jesucristo de los santos de los ultimos dias is la iglesia verdad en el mundo hoy. (translation: I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church on the earth today.) My Spanish is getting pretty good, eh? :)

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Love,
Sister Stroud

Hola familia! 
 
Como esta? So... this week has been soooo busy! I think that we need a P-Day 
from our P-Day. :) We went to the temple this morning and did a session. It was 
so awesome, since I haven't been in like 6 weeks. Then, we went and washed our 
car, cleaned our apartment, did our laundry, wrote some letters. 
 
So let's see. I'm going to try to write you this week. I can't concentrate right 
now. I have a really bad headache (it's almost that time of the month, and I can 
already tell that it's not going to be a fun one... I have been having 
"morning/afternoon/evening pre-period sickness"), so I'm just going to tell you 
the basics, and I'll write more later in a letter. 
 
So... Yes, we get to go to all 4 sessions of General Conference at the 
conference center. :) I live on the streets so I don't have an address. JUST 
KIDDING! My address is... 866 E. Harrison Ave (Unit D). My companion speaks 
English really well, although she only knew a tiny bit before her mission. She 
learned most of it at the MTC, and on her mission. But she is awesome! 
 
Tell DeAnn that I will write her soon. I'll give her some words of advice. :) 
 
So... I'm going to have to go off Adderall. I'm not too happy about it, but I've 
checked some different stores and the cheapest I can find it is like $60, and I 
don't want to pay that much, so I'll just pray extra hard. 
 
Please know that I LOVE you all so much! You don't even know. And I miss you 
tons. I LOVE reading your emails. A mission is definitely not an easy thing 
(even though I absolutely LOVE it), but I always get so much strength out of 
reading your emails and testimonies. 
 
I want you to know that I have a strong, firm testimony of this church. It grows 
amazing amounts everytime I share it. I know that it is because Heavenly Father 
loves us that He restored His church on the earth today through Joseph Smith. I 
know that the Book of Mormon is true. I have developed such an AMAZING LOVE for 
the Book of Mormon in my short time on a mission. I know that as we live by it's 
teachings, we will feel so much peace and happiness in our lives. I know that 
Jesus Christ lives and loves us. He gave His life for us, so that if we follow 
in His footsteps, we can return to live with Him again. I pray that we will all 
follow His example, and that we will strengthen our relationships with him and 
testimony of Him. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, Amen. 
 
Give Codie LOTS of kisses for me. I'll write you soon. 
 
Love always, 
Sister Stroud 

Catey's weekly email 9-8-09

Ok, so I'm really sorry... but this is going to be relatively short. :( 
 
First of all, I'm really sorry about last week. We had a baptism on Saturday, so 
we had to be there for his interview with our district leader. It is always an 
amazing experience to see a child of God be baptized, and to see that change in 
their lives. Before his baptism, he (his name is David) was struggling with 
smoking. So, my skinny-minny companion told him that we would give up chocolate 
if he gave up smoking. Yeah, um... easy for her... she doesn't like sweets. Me, 
on the other hand... let's just say I really struggled. :) Mom, I am so your 
child. ;) Anyways, he was baptized, and it was amazing. He was my first baptism 
of someone that I taught from the very beginning. 
 
Second of all, thank you soooooo much for the package! It was like Christmas in 
September, and I really needed ALL of it! You should have seen my face light up 
when I opened it. :) BreAnn did bring me cookies (they were DELICIOUS... I ate 
all of them.)!!! And it's not against the rules, as long as they just drop them 
off on my doorstep. I just can't see them. Don't worry, I being a good girl. ;) 
I also want to thank EVERYONE who is supporting me right now. I pray for all of 
you, and am soooo grateful that I have such amazing family and friends. I don't 
know what I did to ever deserve any of it, but I thank Heavenly Father every 
night for all of you who are supporting me right now. You will never know how 
much it means to me, because there are no words that can describe it. But... 
please know that I am so grateful for you and I LOVE you so much. 
 
Transfers were yesterday. I really struggled. I did not want to leave my 
trainer. In fact, I cried at the transfer building. Like REALLY cried. I felt so 
emotional. The elders were probably all thinking "Sisters..." :) Oh well... My 
trainer, Sister Kalolo and I got white-washed out of our area. They put elders 
in our old area. My new companion, Sister Azzaya, and I got put in the elder's 
area. Sister Azzaya is way awesome. She is from Mongolia. She also does not 
drive (my last companion didn't drive either), so when I get off my mission in 
like 16 1/2 months, I am not driving at all. :) Anyways, she is so tiny. I feel 
like a giant next to her, but she is way awesome. 
 
Give Codie LOTS of kisses for me. Please tell everyone that I'm sooo sorry that 
I'm such a slacker when it comes to writing. It's hard to find time to do 
ANYTHING. I'm doing the best I can. Tell everyone I love them. Tell James and 
DeAnn that their puppy is so CUTE!I miss them tons and am so proud of them! I'll 
write them next week. Tell Grandma and Grandpa thank you so much for the letter. 
It made my week. :) Tell Cindy HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 
 
Thank you so much again for everything. I love you all more than you will ever 
know. And I miss you tons. But I know that I am where the Lord needs me right 
now. Even when it gets tough, I know that Heavenly Father send me her for a 
reason. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Right? :) Haha. Anyways, 
I LOVE you all. I really have to go to the bathroom, and once we leave the email 
room, we don't get to come back... So, I know that this is the restored gospel 
of Jesus Christ on the earth today. I know that Heavenly Father hears and 
answers our prayers. I pray that I can make Him proud by working diligently to 
bring souls unto Him. I love Him, and I love His Gospel. 
 
Have an awesome week and I'll write next week. :) 
 
With all my love, 
Sister Stroud 

Catey's latest update - August 26, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,
So... I got to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Dedication on Sunday. It was AMAZING... beyond words. Like... I literally can't explain it. It was one of the most spiritual experiences of my entire life. My testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ was strengthened so much. We sat in the room next to the Celestial room, where the prophet was. President Eyring gave the dedicatory prayer. I got tears in my eyes as he blessed the missionaries around the world... and their families, and as I felt my Savior's love. After the dedication, they had all of the children, teenagers and sister missionaries (there were 4 of us) go out of the room and into the hallway. President Monson, President Eyring and Elder Ballard stood right across from us... Like they were standing 5 feet in front of me. President Monson then serenaded us with a song ... about a tangerine. :) He is soooo hilarious! Chills ran through my body as I realized that I was standing in front of a prophet of God, in the House of God. It was quite the experience. He has the best sense of humor. He was cracking us up. We were standing on the second floor of the temple, so you could see down onto the first floor, and President Monson came out of the Celestial Room and said to us, "Don't jump!" We all started cracking up. Oh man President Monson ... :)

We have also been talking to Elder Zwick of the Seventy. Actually, we have gone over to his house a couple of times. He is in one of our stakes. We met him in the temple, and he was like "Come over to my house any time." He is an awesome man. He is really down to earth. His wife is really sweet too. :)

We do have quite a few baptisms coming up. Acutally ... the Holy Ghost has quite a few baptisms coming up. We are just the Lord's instruments in inviting these elect sons and daughters of our loving Heavenly Father to follow the example of our Savior, Jesus Christ by entering into the waters of baptism. The Spirit does everything. We just have to listen. I am really excited for these baptisms. So far in our zone, whe have had 23 baptisms in the month of August! It has been the most amazing experience to watch the hand of the Lord in our lives as well as in the lives of these people. It is amazing to see their lives change for good...the light that comes to them as they accept the Savior in their life.

I know that this is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the way to true happiness. As we follow the example of our Savior, we will feel the peace and joy that He has promised us as we strengthen our relationship with Him. I LOVE this gospel, I LOVE being on a mission, I LOVE the Book of Mormon. I know that it is truly God's word. I pray for a confirmation of it every night, and every night I get the feeling of peace to know that it is true, and that it is because of our Heavenly Father's love for us, His children, that we have this amazing book. I LOVE President Monson. Heavenly Father truly does reveal His will for us through a living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. I LOVE the Savior. My relationship with Him has been strengthened so much since I have been on a mission. I can see His hand in my life and in the lives of others on a daily basis. I know that He lives and that He loves us. I pray that we will all put our trust in Him. He wants us to ask for His help in our lives. He is waiting for us, all we have to do is ask. We never have to feel alone when we make the Savior the central part of our lives. As we seek first the kingdom of God, all other things will fall into place in our lives. This I promise you.

I love you all. I pray for you. You have all played a part in making me the person I am today. For this, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Heavenly Father loves you more than you will ever know. He wants us to return to live with Him again. I want us all to return to live with Him again. Please... never forget that you are a child of God. In the name of our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Love,
Sister Catey Stroud

Update and new address

Sister Stroud left for her first area last Thursday, July 30, 2009. She first went to the Mission Home to meet her Mission President, President Sonne and her trainer. Her trainer is Sister Kalolo from Samoa. Because Sister Kalolo doesn't drive, Catey will do all the driving. Her first area is in Salt Lake. We found out that she will not be serving in Wyoming or Nevada. They only send the Elders there. Last week she worked at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House for two days. She also was able to attend a baptism and is teaching a man named David who was a referral. According to Catey he is "Golden." She has already had a great experience teaching a women named Corie. The following is in Catey's words: "She (Corie) has a three year-old son, who is just as cute as can be. We taught her about having hope, and pressing forward with faith. I know the Holy Ghost was with me, and that He was the one teaching her. It was a really awesome experience. She wants to be baptized and is praying about August 23rd!"

Sister Stroud lives in the basement of a Muslim couples home which is very spacious. Even though they could each have their own room, according to mission rules they have to share a room. One interest of note is that Catey's Mission President informed her that her hair has to be cut even shorter. Before her mission she had 5" cut off. She said she didn't mind though as she loves to be pampered with a haircut.

Please keep Catey in your prayers and if you can write to her. She may not always be able to write back, but she would love to hear from you. Her new address is:

Utah Salt Lake City Mission
West Entrance
3487 South 1300 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84106-2951

Love,
Momma Stroud (Catey gave me this wonderful name- isn't she great :) )