Madison's Letter

Hey Shayden,

I am sorry that I did not write you back sooner. To be completely honest when I saw your letter I thought "great another missionary wrote to me to tell me I need to serve a mission" but it wasn't like that at all. I relate to you a lot because just like you I love school, friends, and being social but I am also tired and really irritated, especially around my family and church. My whole life and even now I feel that the church is being constantly pushed on me. I feel a little trapped and restricted. Instead of turning to the Lord when I feel this way I tend to push myself away and make some poor decisions. It is not that I do not want to be in the church. I do just some of the rules I do not necessarily like and that makes the church so much harder for me. When I read your letter for the first time in my whole life I actually contemplated going on a mission. I have always said that I would never go. I shot it down anytime my parents or grandma would bring it up but right now as I am writing you back I think the spirit is telling me to pray about it. I want to be like you. I want to be happy and not so annoyed all the time. I want to feel the spirit and I know I can't with the way I act. Thank you for writing me I think that I really really needed that letter. I am still really unsure of some things but I am going to take your advice and try to turn to the lord. I really hope that one day I can meet you. I feel like we would be great friends and I would love to continue to write you on your mission, I want to hear all about what serving a mission is like.

Love,

Madison