My name is Heidi. I was raised in Rexburg, Idaho but haven't been back (emotionally) since I was 18 and could leave. Of course, I was raised a Mormon and when I was 12, started asking questions about the temple. I was told by my Sunday school teacher that it was sacred and I would find out I went through the temple. From that day forward I haven't been involve with the church! Unfortunatly, I had to go to church with my family until college and then I left home under sad circumstances. My whole family is very much involved in the church. My parents are currently serving a mission in Salt Lake City.

Last Fall I realized that I no longer belonged to that family after they persuaded my 18 year old to get baptized(they promised him a new car and college tuition, but that has never happened, THANK GOD!)I suffered all winter feeling alone and I brought my husband and three boys down with my depression. January 17 a friend of mine told me about your book. She suggested that I go on-line and read it. IT CHANGED MY LIFE!!!!!!!!! I read the book in one night and cried that whole way through it. I could relate to everything you were saying! FINALLY someone knew what I was feeling! I know now that God loves me and Jesus Christ is in my life and I have a new family now. A Christian family. My family and I are going to a Christian church in Richland, Washington. I am taking it slow, but I love it. In one of our bulletins on Sunday, it read that they were starting a prayer group to reach out to ex-mormons. I did not hesitate! My husband and I went to the meeting. Again, I cried the whole time. The group has developed to over 40 people now and our prayer list is tremendous!!!!

I have since then ordered your book and read it again. I highlighted the things that were important to me and have taken the book to our meeting and shared it with the group. They are now reading it. Then I read my newsletter that you sent me and saw that YOU WERE COMING TO RICHLAND!!!!! I am so excited! I WILL BE THERE!!! I know you don't know me, but you have helped me so much!!!!! My life has been changed forever! >My prayer now is that God will use me as a tool to reach out to my family and share the TRUE gospel with them. Emotionally I am not ready to talk to them, but with lots of prayer and great support, I feel i am getting stronger everyday.

Our group is now studying the Bridges Program developed by some Christian missionaries in Salt Lake City to help reach out to Mormons and tell them about Christianity. To tell you the truth, I am having a hard time with it because they are talking about something that they haven't experienced from the inside. I guess I still have some anger inside me regarding the Mormon church.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to me and I look so forward to hearing you person! You truly are a life-saver. Please feel free to e-mail me if you can get the time to do so. (By the way, my son is no longer attending the Mormon church and is very much against it, but he is also very much againt God right now. Please keep him in your prayers. His name is Adam and he is hurting right now.)

Thanks Again!!!!!

Heidi

Thanks for the great letter!

Looking forward to meeting you when I am in Richland. Be sure to introduce yourself.

Yeah, I have some of the same questions you do about the Bridges Program. I'll admit I haven't studied it deeply, but I know people who have gone through it and I see it as sort of a luke-warm and fuzzy approach.

Jim