March 7, 2016

HI everyone! This week we didn't have too much going on. Hermana Mortensen was still sick so we were in the house all week except for yesterday and the Viajantes ( I think it is sister training leaders in english) came down so I could go work!

But don't worry I still have stories to tell! When we were out yesterday we were visiting people we hadn't seen in a while! Well there is one part pf our área that is pretty poor and we have a menos activo (less active) family that lives over there. They have one room and a bathroom for their house. They also have 9 kids with one more on the way. But they are so amazing! Well we were walking down the street and we saw some of their kids with the neighbors kids...well low and behold they were playing in the sewer. They are doing some construction down there and they didn't close up the drainage for the sewer. So Hermana Mortensen and I went over there and asked what they were doing. They had thrown these big, heavy, metal rings down into this drainage and they had to get them out. Keep in mind the Rodriquez daughter is in like a nice easter dress while all of this is happening. But they weren't strong enough to get them out with out all of them working together and that is why they were all down there. Well Hermana Mortensen, being the sweetheart she is, asked if they needed help. THANK GOODNESS they said no..I really would have learned alot about charity if they had said yes!! That is one thing I love about the misión! You never know what is going to happen and you learn in the craziest of ways!

This morning I was reading in third Nephi about when the people saw the sign of the Birth of Christ! It made me think because after a few years they didn't believe in the signs that they had seen. It made me think of this phrase, without faith even seeing is not enough. If we are not preparing everyday(Reading our scriptures, praying, going to church) when we recieve answers we might not think they are really answers. Or when trials come we won't have the faith suffecient to support us through those trials. I was also thinking about when the Gadianton robbers kept coming and attacking the Nephites. The nephites learned that they had to humble themselves and it was only through the strength of the Lord that they were able to defeat them. We need to realize that everything that we do and can do is thanks to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We have so many talents that help us to be good at different things, now imagine if we prayed and asked for the Lord's help in all the different things we do? We would be even greater. I have been working alot on humility this week! Just some thoughts. Like always, I hope you are all reading and praying! I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week!

p.s. here is a soccer field in el campo!

Love, 

Hermana Rich

 

Hermana Rich and Mortensen

Hermana Rich and Manu

Hermana Mortensen, Hermana Rich and Manu

Soccer field in El Campo

 

February 29, 2016

Great letter this week!  Grateful for my faith and the peace that I always know Mackenzie is where she is supposed to be at this time in her life.  And grateful as always for her safety!  Love you all! Kim

 

Hi everyone! This week has been super fantastic and then not so fantastic haha! 

 We had the conference with Elder Bednar this week and it was super amazing! I really think I got so much out of the conference because I prepared really well for it. We can't go into something like that and expect to receive answers or advice that we are not spiritually prepared to receive! So for those of you who get the amazing opportunity to listen to him in these next few weeks I would highly recommend preparing! Read your scriptures and pray to have the spirit with you during the meeting! Elder Bednar and his wife are really just indescribable! They are super spiritual but they keep it fun and interesting as well!  Elder Bednar talked a lot about the Book of Mormon! He said if we will take the time to read, ponder, and pray about the Book of Mormon everyday he could promise we would never go inactive. He then went on to explain that the Book of Mormon is not an ancient record of the Nephites. It is a road map for what is coming and we are living in the pages of it. Crazy?! But it is so true and we hold in our hands a map to get through this life. How dumb would it be for us to not use it? I just love the Book of Mormon..and Elder Bednar! I also got to see Hermana Harpole and Hermana Cutler! Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to talk to Hermana Cutler so we just smiled and waved at each other! (Kim here...Hermana Cutler is a friend of Mackenzie's from home and she is serving in the Uruguay Montevideo West Mission.)

So we had to be in Montevideo a little before the conference because we had some stuff to do in Montevideo! So we went down on Thursday afternoon! This is where the adventure really starts! So we planned our day to be able to have lunch with a member and then head down to Montevideo right? Well we had just left the house and we were about two streets above the house when we heard our alarm going off. So we went back to the house and turned it off. Well the kitchen door was open..soo we had an unexpected guest haha. Yes, someone tried to break into our house, but the alarm scared them away. So we let our district leader know, locked everything up, reset the alarm, and went to lunch! After lunch we came back and everything was normal so we packed up and went to Montevideo!

Later that night we had to take another bus to get to the house of Hermanas in Carrasco. Well I heard something fall as I was walking off the bus. So I turned around and saw my wallet on the floor as the doors closed and the bus was driving away...so I lost my wallet. But the next day the assistants to the mission President(kind of like the head missionaries) returned it to me! Someone had called the office and said they had found it! Yay! Of course all of the money was gone which was kind of a big bummer, but I accepted the fact that I was supposed to lose that money either way, whether it be from someone breaking into my house or losing it on the bus! Apparently someone else needed that money more than I did!

So Carrasco is right on the beach so I was able to go running on the beach for exercise that next morning and I have to say it was so amazing! Uruguay is sooo beautiful!

Well we got back from the conference around 12:30 at night so we had permission to sleep in until the next morning! Well when we woke up my poor companion was sick. We have been in the house ever since. But we should be able to leave the house tomorrow! Yay! But unfortunately we haven´t been able to work in our area for four days now and today will make five. So the elders from our zone are coming to work in our area for us! They are going to have charlas (lessons) with our investigators for us and meet with all the people we need to! It is such a big blessing because without them we would lose a lot of the progress we have made in our area! It just goes to show that it really is not about numbers out here! We are all doing the same thing and it doesn't matter where!

But on the bright side we had an investigator at church even though we couldn't be there! It was Alejandro! We were super excited to hear about that! We are still teaching him, Alejandra and her son Mauricio! We also started teaching her friend and two kids that are living with her! They are awesome! 

That is about all I have got for ya this week! The mission is definitely an adventure and you NEVER know what is going to happen! It keeps it fun! But I love my mission and everything about it! I know that this gospel is true and that because Heavenly Father loves us so much he gave us all the tools we would need to return to him! Those tools include church leaders, prayer, our families, and most importantly the Book of Mormon. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that if will take the time to read it, ponder it, and pray about it we can all know of the truthfulness of it! I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers. It may not be in the time we want or how we want but He always answers them. I know that through the temple we can be sealed as families for the eterenities. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can bless and help every single person! That is why we need to take every opportunity to share the gospel. We don't go anywhere by coincidence and if you look there is an opportunity to share the gospel wherever we go! I love you all so much and I hope you have a great week!

Love,

 Hermana Rich

 

Beautiful moonlit sky

 

Hermana Rich & Mortensen saying hello!

 

February 23, 2016

Kim here again!  Well, I've been a little behind in getting Mackenzie's emails and pictures up but here is one week and I will try to get the other week up tonight as well.  She is loving her mission and is so grateful to all of you for your love and support and your interest in what she is doing in Uruguay!  We love you all!Hi everyone! This week has been really great! We have had a lot of rain and have seen a ton of progress in our investigators! Also, this week we have the conference with Elder Bednar! I am super excited about it!

So we have an investigator, Alejandra. She is 22 and has a 9 year old son and 7 year old daughter. Alejandra has been struggling with using drugs for a really long time now. But her and her family are so amazing. I seriously love them so much! This week her and her son committed to baptism! Yay! She also came to church this week! She has been receiving lessons from the missionaries for over six months and she has never been to church. This was a huge step for her! Also, she has been clean from drugs for a week now! She knows what she wants now in life and is working super hard to change it! It is so amazing to see the gospel working with others to improve their lives! It is such a testimony builder to me. Also, funny story. Yesterday we had a charla (lesson) with her and her kids and we were talking about how the gospel blesses our lives and some people can have really hard lives. Well Alejandra said oh yeah! I  learned about that when I was in prison last year! I got bored and stir crazy one day so I attacked a security guard! They put me in solitary confinement and it was the worst!! What? haha she is so funny! 

Plus right now, she has a friend and her two kids living with her! When we taught them yesterday her friend's son was with us. When we showed the picture of Christ being baptized he freaked out! He started yelling no!! Why are they trying to kill Jesús?! It was soo funny hahaha. We get random funny questions like that all the time!

We also have another investigator who we are teaching. His name is Alejandro! He also went to church this Sunday! He had taken the lessons two years ago and then his wife died. He didn't want anything to do with the church at that point. But he is coming back yay! He also has really bad knees and so he can barely walk. The bishop of our branch is a friend of his and so he came and gave him a blessing Saturday when we had our charla(lesson) with him. And when we talked to him yesterday he said he woke up that morning and it was like he forgot he had ever had pain in his knees!! What a miracle right? 

I am so grateful that we have the authority of God on the Earth today with things, like blessings for health and sealing families together for eternity! I am grateful for this gospel and the peace and comfort it brings to me! I know that we can have our families forever and we can always talk to our Father in Heaven wherever and whenever! I know we can receive answers to our prayers if we are putting in the work. If we don't care about receiving revelation we really won't get it. We have to put in the work and be spiritually prepared to receive answers! I also know that we have to have patience in the Lord's timing in receiving those answers! I was Reading In Jacob 5 with the parable of the Lord of the vineyard and the servant. We need to be like the servant and spare it a little longer (Jacob 5:2). We need to keep working and have patience. I love this gospel so much and the opportunity I have to be serving a mission! I love it so much. Everyone here is so relaxed. Last night was a really nice night out so everyone was outside their houses and my companion and I were walking home. There were a bunch of kids playing soccer in the street and they all yelled Hola Mormonas! haha You can just really feel the love the Lord has for the people here. I hope you all have a fantastic week! I love you all!

Love,

Hermana Rich

Blue house across the street from where Hermana Rich lives

Hermana Rich after walking 30 minutes to the church in the rain

Hermana Rich walking in the rain

Hermana Rich at an investigators house with a random horse in the front yard

Hermana Rich unsuccessfully setting up her mosquito net ( not a decoration, a necessity!)

Beautiful Uruguay sky

Hermana's Rich & Mortensen and a member who goes out with them to talk to people



Sister Abelo from the ward got the Valentine's gifts

Eating torta fritas after the rain.  It's like a huge scone!



February 15, 2016

Hello Everybody!

Kim here again!  Sorry I am a little late in posting this.  Mackenzie had a great week and we have lots of pictures to share!  Thank you for checking in to see how she is doing.  She is really enjoying her mission and loves to hear from all of you!  She loves all of you and is so grateful for everyone's support and love! I'll try to post quicker next week, well actually tomorrow at this point!  :)

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to say thank you for all of the emails I have been getting. They are fantastic and make me feel close to home even when I am over here in South America! I love hearing about how everyone is doing! 

This week has been a little crazy! We had three conferencias! Two in Montevideo and one in Durazno! The two in Montevideo was for the temple and the Oro Conferencia! 

Here they call new missionaries Oros! It means gold and it is because they think we conduct the spirirt through us really well like gold and we are new and pure and stuff like that haha. But the conference was really good! I got to see Hermana Harpole! It was super great and I got to meet a lot more people in the misión! 

The temple was so amazing! We had some classes before we went and one of them was taught by Hermana Cook, the Mission president's wife. She is so amazing! She said something that I really liked. She said that every morning when we put on our garments we are putting on a little piece of home. The temple is our home and no matter where we are or what we are doing we always have a piece of home with us as long as we are wearing our garments! I really liked that because down here in Uruguay is nothing like home but I love it all the same! 

We lost our investigator Anelina this week, she said she didn't want to listen to us anymore. She really has a fear of change and her entire family is catholic so she is nervous about what they will think too. It was so sad and frustrating to me because I love her so much and I know the góspel can bless her so much! But God gave us our agency and the spirit respects that: So our investigators can choose to admit to the spirit they are feeling or not and in this case she chose the later. But I love her still the same and still pray for her every day! 

Also Victoria moved so we are trying to find her again! Hr mom and her Abuela got in a fight so her mom moved out. It is a big bummer but all in the Lord's time!

We found three new investigators this week, despite only working three days this week! The Lord is really preparing these people for us and I am so excited to watch them progress!

So last week it started to pour down rain and we got soaked! The streets flooded and the umbrella didn't do anything.The rain just came at you from everywhere! We had an investigator we wanted to go see but we also saw that a less active family was home and we didn't know what to do. So we said a prayer in the pouring rain! When the prayer was over I felt that we needed to go see our investigator and when we got there she had all of her stuff lined up to do drugs. We talked with her and when we left she was doing way better. We talked with her the next day and instead of doing drugs she read her scriptures and read all of Alma 36 and she said she knew she could change her life. It was so amazing to see a result of our work and following the spirit.

A year ago I never would have guessed I would be walking around South America in the pouring rain and loving it! What we do as missionaries is crazy. We walk around, talking to strangers bearing our testimonies to anyone who will listen, and some that won't. We go into strangers houses and talk about how us as teenagers know how to help these people who struggle with drug addictions, family problems, and everything else you can imagine. But it is so worth it! You can see how the Gospel of Jesús Christ is changing these peoples lives for the better and it is so amazing. It is such a testimony builder for me! If we turn to Christ and rely on our Heavenly Father, there isn't anything we can't do! I know that this misión is only getting started but I love it and I cannot wait to see what happens! I know that our Father in Heaven lives and knows us and is aware of each and everyone of us and what we need. I know he answers our prayers if we will put in the work. I know through the atonement of Christ we can find peace, comfort, and be forgiven for our sins! I know Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and restored the góspel. I know that he translated the Book of Mormon into our language. This is why we need to study it and read it every day. Heavenly Father knew we needed it so much he gave an uneducated man the power to translate it for our understanding! I know that through temple ordinances we can have our families forever! What a great blessing that is and I have been blessed with the most amazing family. I know Heavenly Father has blessed us with families to help us stay on the straight and narrow path that returns us back to him! I know this góspel is true with all my heart and that is why I am out here. These people need the góspel and each one of us can bring it to them if we will be willing to follow the desires of Heavenly Father and open our mouths! Most of our new investigators are references from the Ward! The Lord puts these people in our path so that we can help them! And when we were baptized we promised to take upon us the name of Christ and this includes sharing the góspel! We have what everyone needs and we should share it! I love you all and I hope you have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Rich

Yay!  My first package from home!

And it's packed full!

With some cotton shirts for the humidity!

And a letter from home!

And some of the things I miss, like beef jerky...

And lots of chocolate...

And peanut butter!!!

and gum!

Wow!  It felt like Christmas! (Her dad would say too small for Christmas... more like her Easter basket! hahaha)

This is what walking in the flooding rainstorm does!

Temple Day

Hermana Rich and Mortensen at the temple

Yay!!!!  She got to see Hermana Harpole again! This was her companion in the Missionary Training Center.

And I saved the best for last...Hermana Rich holding a dead, frozen Armadillo!

 

February 8th, 2016 - 2 months down, 16 to go!

Kim here!  Just posted this weeks email and pictures!  Thank you for taking the time to read and check in on Mackenzie.  She is doing great and loving the mission!!!  Feel free to email her! Mackenzie.Rich@myldsmail.net.  Hope you all have a great week!

 

 

Hello Everyone!

Well this week has been pretty crazy! But that is how it is here in Uruguay! For example this morning I went to take a shower right? Seems like a normal simple thing..but no! So my companion went and put her laundry in the machine ( we got a new one yay) and the power went out! So we had to turn the power back on! Then I go to turn the shower on and we have absolutely zero wáter pressure to the point where no wáter is coming out of the shower head...then it finally kicks in and we have no hot wáter! But that is okay at least we have a shower right? So I am showering and the power goes out and this time stays out..so I got to shower in the dark!! Hahaha 

But really I am loving it out here! You never know what to expect! The other day when I had intercambios (exchanges-this is where they swap companions for the day) my companion and I went and started talking with this guy and he kept saying this word we didn't know. So he said he would show us! The next thing I know this guy walks out with a dead, frozen armadillo!! He had skinned the face and when you flipped it over he had taken all of its insides and was keeping it in his freezer!! After he was done showing us he handed it to his five year old son to go put back in the freezer. What is that?! haha It was pretty funny and definitely not something I was expecting! But hey it is a good story! 

This week my companion and I got to go to Durazno for a baptism and we got to sing as well! So that was pretty exciting! And to go along with traveling we have to go to Montevideo twice this week for conferencias! So I am pretty excited! In one of the conferences my companion and I have to run the workshop which is a 45 minute class for our zone! 

Last night we had a family home evening with some recent converts! Well they had forgotten about it so they were cleaning up really quick right? So we are helping entertain there three little kids and the dad disappears! Next thing we know he comes running back with all this soda and food! He had gone to the store and bought all this stuff for the fhe(family home evening)...thanks for breaking the sabbath day to feed us? haha it was pretty funny! 

We currently have about six solid investigators! Two of which have baptism dates set! One of them is Angelina, the lady who said she wasn't going to change! I am so excited for her! She is so sweet and so fantastic! We just have to help her meet all of the requirements for baptsim! 

Last week for a zone meeting our zone went and visited the huge cathedral here! It was pretty interesting to have all these mormon missionaries walking around the catholic church but the building is insane and super cool!

Well that is about all I have got for you! But I love you all so much! And I want all of you to know that I know that this góspel is true. That Heavenly Father sent us here to Earth to gain experience and learn. But also, to have families and find joy in this life. When things get tough always turn to our Heavenly Father. Every trial he gives us is one we can support and overcome with his help! When we want to talk to God we pray and when we want him to talk to us we read the scriptures! This is why it is so important to study the scriptures everyday! I know that the Book Of Mormon is the Word of God. I know that through the atonemnet of Jesús Christ we can find forgiveness, comfort, and be with our families for the eternitities. I love this góspel so much and I am so grateful for it and the knowledge and comfort it brings me! I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week and can recognize the Lord's hand in your life a little more!

Love,

Hermana Rich

 

Eating burgers with Hermana Mortensen

On exchanges

Exchange with Hermana Bagley

Yay!!!She got our package!

 

2/1/19

Kim here again!  Another Monday down and another fun email from Mackenzie. (Allen informed me yesterday only 70 more Sundays to go!) She has been busy and is loving her mission!  Here is her latest email and pictures!  Hope you enjoy reading it!

Hi everyone!

 

This week has been great! We have one investigator, Angelina, She is the lady who said she knew the book of mormon was true but didn't want to change! Well this week we talked with her more and talked about how God only has one way for us to return to him and that the sacerdocio or priesthood is they key that opens that door! She then asked if she could just break the door down haha but she is great! We had a Noche de Hogar or family home evening with the Blanco family and our investigator Victoria! The Blanco Family is soo amazing! I love them so much! I always talk about soccer with them and the other day their seven year old son brought out all their cleats and was talking to me about them and what he does at practice and stuff! Way fun! Also, We have this less active member, Miguel! He is so funny! So he doesn't come to church becaus he refuses to come wearing anything but shorts and a t shirt!Well the other day we ran into him and he said he had something for us and ran behind this random house and gave us this window screen! So funny haha. This week I have been studying more about patience and how we need to trust in the lord and his timing. We need to bear our trials with patience because we are given them to help us learn and grow! I really have been trying to have more patience with everything that is going on around me and have patience with myself and the language! I know it takes time and that the Lord requires us to work for our answers! We have alot of people who straight out tell us we are wrong and don't know what we are talking about and it makes me sick to my stomach! Because I know without a doubt that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and I know that through Him we can be with our families forever. I know that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesús Christ and when we read it and study it daily we draw closer to Him and can understand what God desires of us! I know that God always provides a way for us if we will turn to him! I live on my knees out here and constantly am praying for different things! I love this góspel and all that it brings me! I love you all and pray for you every week! I am sorry the letter isn't very long I will do better rnext week! 

Love,

Hermana Rich

 

The entry hallway where Mackenzie lives

She said they call this chicken pizza!

The infamous "screen"

The Blanco family

Mackenzie at El Campo, where the city is more worn down

On a funny note, Mackenzie also found out that her companion is from Woodscross High school in Utah!  Her companion was at the same choir festival that Mackenzie was at in San Diego a few years ago.  Small world!  Anyways, Woodscross came into the festival and beat out Fountain Valley who had a long run at first place.  Well when it came time for the awards, Mackenzie was so excited that Fountain Valley got beat that when they announced Woodscross as the winner Mackenzie was jumping up and down and cheering.  Her companion told her that they all told funny stories about the girl who was so excited that they won and she wasn't even from Woodscross high school.  Well that girl was Mackenzie and now she is companions with the girl from Woodscross.  Amazingly small world.  Love you all and thanks for reading about Mackenzie's time in Uruguay!

1/25/16

So we got some clarification on the blog.  I can post on the blog.  But I need to make it perfectly clear that this is Kim (Mackenzie's Mom) posting on this blog and not her.  She doesn't have access to this blog and anything posted here will ALWAYS be from me.  (At least until June of 2017 when she will come home!)  When it sounds like her writing, that is because she always sends me an email from her to post to all of you!  It is NEVER her posting to this blog!  With that being said, here is her email from last week!

Hey everyone!!

I hope you all have had a great past week! This week was a little interesting for me! I got the gripe, or the flu! I have got to say that the flu here is way different than back at home! I would take the flu back at home over the one here any day. I kinda felt like I was dying..and that is me not being dramatic or anything hahaha. So unfortunately I was only able to work two full days this past week! It doesn´t help that it has been so hot outside but I am way better now!!

Also, our washing machine is broken! So I get to wash all of my clothes by hand today, yay! When the machine is on it takes our power so before we figured out that it was the washing machine we would sometimes have to plan in the dark! haha But we are hopefully getting a new one soon!

We had the opportunity to teach Sunday school again yesterday and it was pretty fun! Once again, I love teaching! We taught a lesson with this lady this week and these were here exact words: I believe the Book of Mormon is true but I just don't want to change. WHAT?! It is times like these that I know the Lord is really trying to teach me patience! But I still love her and we are gong to try and help her! We also found a less active family at the end of last week and had our first lesson with them this week! Well it turns out that there are three families living together, all related, but one of the daughters is eight and hasn't been baptized. We taught the restoration of the gospel with them and this little girl was super interested so the Grandma went and woke up the mom and asked her if she could be baptized! The grandma walked out and said oh she can be baptized so we committed her and the whole family came to church yesterday and the little girl loved it! So we are super excited about that! We are working with two other main investigators but they don't have dates yet! One of them was baptized but he doesn't understand that he needs to be baptized with the proper authority! But they are all super great and they understand me so that is good! Plus the more I am around them the more I understand too! 

The whole two weeks I have been out here I have realized we witness a miracle every single day. Every single day we see Heavenly Father´s hand at work! For example, yesterday our lunch fell through and we weren't quite sure what we were going to do because we didn't have food and we can't go buy any on Sundays! ( We didn't have food because the majority of it has been gong bad because our fridge doesn't work right lol we are working on that too!) Well we were talking to a lady in the Ward and she randomly said you should come over for lunch. We explained our dilemma and she said she had gone grocery shopping the day before and felt impressed to buy more food than she needed and so she had plenty! I know that isn't a major miracle or anything but it was a miracle none the less! Just goes to show that Heavenly Father is aware of each of us and what we need even before we know what we need!

I have been studying the atonement a lot this week and I can't begin to explain my gratitude for my savior! It is so important that we use the atonement daily! It is through the atonement that we can be with our families forever and live with Heavenly Father again. Through the atonement we can receive comfort! Jesus Christ knows exactly what we are feeling. He took on every sin for every person in the world and all he asks for in return is that we live his commandments. I have never used the atonement more in my life than right now. Heavenly Father knows our thoughts and the intents of our hearts and so he knows every single mistake we make, big or little! But the size of our sin is not important because the atonement covers it all! All we have to do is ask for forgiveness! I am so grateful for the atonement because I want to live with my family forever and I know that it is only through the atonement and the sacrifice that my Savior made that that is even a possibility. I know that this gospel is true. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and when we read it we are truly reading the words of God and that we can find any answer we need through diligent study of the Book of Mormon. I know that we have the true authority of God on the Earth today! I know that baptism is not the end but merely the beginning and that we can renew our covenants each week by taking the sacrament and we can start each week fresh! I know that Our Heavenly Father answers our prayers if we will have the patience to know it is in his time and He knows what is best for us. I know that God lives and loves us! I love my mission and I am so excited for the work ahead! I hope you all have a great week! Know that I pray for you all every day and I love you all!

Love,

Hermana Rich

 

Sky view of part of Mackenzie's area

Another sky view shot

Back of the Catholic church near where she lives

Mackenzie's desk.  Looks like lots of studying in Spanish!

And just a side not from me, Mackenzie is feeling much better and she has been asked to sing at a special sister missionary conference.  Wish we could all be there to hear it, but I am sure it will be amazing!  Thank you all for checking in!
Kim