Overcoming the Beast

This week was great!

I got a new companion, his name is Elder Gwilliam, he is WAY cool, and we get along really well. Plus he is a chef so I have that going for me. He is really relaxed, and he knows what he is doing because he only has 3 months left on his mission, so we get lots of work done! Over 40 lessons this week! We were booked back to back all week, it was crazy! 

This area has grown SO MUCH, we have 2 people on date to be baptized, Hashke and Georgina, and a few more coming soon, I feel!  Also we are getting a lot of less active families to come back to church and become reactivated!  The best this week was when we found a lady named Luella and brought her to church. She hadn't been in years! The members were SO nice to her, and she really felt welcome! She can't wait to come back!!!!

Never forget to be nice to people! At church, on the streets, school, work, ANYWHERE!
A smile and a hello can change everything for someone!  Especially if you take the time to get to know someone a little bit, you can change their day, week, or year! As far as church, a simple conversation can even change a life!! Watch out for others who seem alone or unfamiliar. TALK TO THEM. It is selfish not to. With everything that you have, it is ridiculous to stay in your little bubble and ignore the people around you that you have the power to help.

 

That's your challenge this week, is to pay attention to the people around you, smile at people, say hi, and get to know somebody.

Besides working super hard this week, I had to overcome the beast of homesickness. It snowed HARD here, and we got a nice amount of snow!  I liked it at first, but then I kept thinking about Idaho, and how Dallin and I would go snowboarding, and how we would go to McCall with grandma and grandpa, hot tubbing with friends, sledding, snow ball fights, everything! Then things got out of hand when I saw Christmas decorations at members' homes!

I thought of every Christmas from back to being a child, and all the experiences with my family. Christmas is my FAVORITE. Favorite holiday, and favorite time with family. It always seemed like family was just so much more close during that time, and we did so much together. And this week I realized that I would be missing that, and it was really hard to think about.
Every time I see snow, smell hot chocolate, or hear Christmas music, I just have this deep yearning to be with my family. I miss them so much!

I love my mission, and all the people here, and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. Even though it sucks to be away from family, it is worth it to be able to be here and serve these people!
I know that Christ is our savior, and I love Him.

Hope you are all doing well! Have an AWESOME Thanksgiving, and enjoy the company of your family and friends. Stay warm if it's snowy there too, and drink some hot chocolate for me! 

Thanks SO MUCH for the support, friendship, and letters. I love you guys!!

 

it's beginning to look a lot like...Thanksgiving....

this is the view from our trailer! we live right next to the church, where wild dogs and horses frequent the parking lot.

It actually looks really cool here with the snow!