24 August 1997

Dear Family,

It is another Sunday.  Cool, eh?  This is my favorite day because I can take a nap.  It is weird because we go to bed at 10:30 pm and get up at 6 am, then we go to class and sit all day.  By the time 9 pm rolls around I am gased.  (No, I don't have gas -I'm just really tired.)  I don't understand how that is.

GRANT, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  I know I already sent you a card but I just wanted to tell you HB again.  So when are you going to go on your first date, huh?  Did you have fun in Cali?

Evelyn, thanks for the letter.  You are awesome.  It always makes my day when I get mail, so yep, thanks.

Mom and Dad thanks for the letters, and the article, and the post-it notes.  I can really use those!  I haven't been able to read all of the article yet.  I just read the first part about the Bishop Store House.

I can't believe you went crazy and bought all of that new furniture.  Wow!  How come you guys always buy new stuff when I leave anyway?  That's cool though.

Did you get my flight plans?  What do you think about that?  I think it sucks!  I might as well stay up all night!  :)

{My flight out of Salt Lake City to St. Louis was booked for about 4:30 am.  I had to be up at 2 am to to get ready and on a bus that would take me from the MTC in Provo to SLC.  I guess I wasn't too happy about that.  I think it's funny now.}

I started working in the telecenter on Monday.  It is pretty cool.  They say it is a lot like tracting only we are on the phones.  Some people are really excited about having the missionaries come over.  One man called and I asked him, "What prompted you to call?"  He started to cry and said something like, "I've been a drug addict since I was 13 years old, and I've been an alcoholic too.  I hate the way I am."  You have to understand that when he called he was in the hospital with a broken neck.  I don't know what happened, but it must have jolted him enough so that he would have decided to re-evaluate his life.  Will you pray for him?  I don't remember his name, but will you pray for him that he will be able to recover and also that the missionaries will be able to find him soon.  He said he wanted them to go to his home in about 10 weeks.  But I thought that is too far away.  So please remember him in your prayers.

{Looking back, I don't know why I didn't send the missionaries to his hospital room anyway. I did not write about that little detail.  If it was today, I would have.  I have thought about this man throughout the years and I wonder whatever happened to him.  It is funny how people and their situations can create lasting memories.  The hymn "God Be With You Til We Meet Again" is playing in my mind.  I hope to meet this man face-to-face someday.}

There aren't always stories like that.  Most of the time people hang up.  Last night this woman called in and she was ordering a Bible.  Part of the procedure, our main goal, is to get the missionaries into the home of the person calling.  I started to ask her if she would like them to come -then she interupted me and asked, "What's your denomination?"  I answered, "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints."  And there was silence.  She didn't even know who we were.  So I said, "Our nickname is Mormons."  Then she said, "Mormons!?!?  I don't even want to order."  And that was that.  What I don't understand is why people hate Mormons so much.  I can't figure it out.  It is probably nothing.  Just feelings passed through the generations maybe.  I don't know.  It's all weird.

mormon.org/jesus-christ/

{To this day I still wonder why people can be so anti-Mormon.  I know many of the other denominations out there do not believe that we are a Christian church.  " Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them" (Matt. 7:16).}

Mom, the MTC is great but as far as it being like heaven, I don't know.  I can't remember heaven.  Ha, ha, ha.  Well, I'd better get going so I can get this in the mail.  My comp is way cool.  We are a lot alike -I think.  I saw one of my friends from ISU (Idaho State University) here the other day.  It was cool to see her.  She is awesome!

Love y'all,

Sister Campbell