"Little girl why are you crying? Just because the flowers in your garden are dying."

I have two very different blogs to write tonight.
BLOG NUMBER 1:
I am continuously impressed with you. The world keeps throwing you curve balls and you rise. You're far from home, the only member in your family, very new to this thing called being a Mormon...you have so many questions, you've been in several car accidents, you had a friend screw you out of a lot of money, a pipe burst in your apartment spewing hundreds of gallons of water everywhere...you have every excuse in the world to give up, and do what's "easy."
And yet, you don't.
You stick to it.
Even when it's hard, and life just seems like it's never going to get any easier. I don't know the pain you're going through because you bear it all with such dignity. You smile and you continue to serve. How do you do it?
I'm so immensely grateful for your friendship and your influence in my life. You have no idea what it means to me to see you keep on fighting even when those around you who were the first members you had contact with are no longer active. Even though those missionaries that were eternally important to you are gone.
I can't imagine what you've gone through since you decided to make that choice of immersion, but I know this...you're obviously a big deal if the adversary is trying this hard to make your life difficult, and there is always...always a trial of your faith before the miracle. I promise.
And I love you. Thank you. You are so beautiful, and I am SO glad that you didn't settle.