Letter from Katie

Hi Annie!

I hope you have had a fabulous week! Earlier this week, I was stalking your instagram account because I miss you and I was loving to look at all of your photos and videos. You are so happy and filled with so much love and joy and that is definitely evident in all of your pictures! All I could think was, "Annie is so pretty!" 

That thought, "Annie is so pretty!" made me think of a talk by Elaine S. Dalton (who was the General Young Women's President when I was in YW's) called, "Remember Who You Are." This talk made a huge impact in my life. She tells of how she learned as a young woman what true beauty is. She calls it "deep beauty"..."the kind of beauty that shines from the inside out. It is the kind of beauty that cannot be painted on, surgically created, or purchased. It is the kind of beauty that doesn’t wash off. It is spiritual attractiveness. Deep beauty springs from virtue. It is the beauty of being chaste and morally clean. It is the kind of beauty that you see in the eyes of virtuous women like your mother and grandmother. It is a beauty that is earned through faith, repentance, and honoring covenants." 

So that's what came to my mind when I saw all your cute and fun pictures this week. You have "deep beauty" sister!!! I know that there are so many people in your mission who have been touched by your love and testimony of the Savior. Keep enjoying every minute on your mission and serving with all of your heart, might, mind, and strength! There's not a day that goes by where I don't think about my mission, give gratitude to Heavenly Father for what I was able to experience, and the testimony I was able to develop on my mission. It brings tears to my eyes thinking about this sacred time to dedicate 100% to the Lord's work. I know you feel (and will feel) the same about the Las Vegas, Nevada mission. 

We love you!!! We think about you and pray for you often! Proud of you!!! 

Love,

Katie