Nov 24

I am so excited for Jenna to be 17! Happy Birthday to the best baby sister in the world! I've been thinking about you all day today and I am so excited to hear how the 17 goes. It's weird to think when I get home, you'll be 18. And still taller. No fair. But happy birthday!

Also! Thank you Hansens for your letters! I loved them. Ha Uncle Craig said I must type fast because my letters are really long. Me and my companion had a good chuckle over that. You are the best. I will write back soon.

So I now have Sister Pope, whom I lovingly call the Pope-sicle because it's been so cold and this is her first bus area and being outside. Ha she is adjusting well and is rocking the buss. Confession (just kidding we all knew this), I was terrified of the bus when I first got here, but the joy of a new companion is they don't have to know that. So Sister Reese and I worked out this plan of pretending to have no fear when contacting and that when Sister Pope got here, I'd just walk on the bus like it was my day job. (Because technically it is). Be so proud of me! Blessings follow faith that required action because somewhere in pretending to have the utmost confidence, I finally get what Preach my Gospel was saying. If you just open your mouth, the words will come. I can actually teach, and pull the right stop to get off the buss. This is nothing short of a blessed miracle. Ha clearly, there's still a lot to work on, but a tender mercy it was to really like the buss and to trust the Spirit. I like what Jared said, it's amazing what can happen when you put on a name tag and just get out there.

It's been a good week, with a lot of adjusting. I love Sister Pope but it was hard to have Sister Reese go. When she left, we were both all teared up and looking a mess. Ha an Elder in my district was teasing me as I was wiping me eyes, but he said it's awesome to be so close to your trainer because most people don't get along with theirs. I now eat Reese Peanut Butter Cup Cereal in her honor.

We got to volunteer with the senior couple in our district, the Lenharts, at an international holiday festival for Family Search. It was crazy fun. People were dressed up in all these crazy costumes. There was even traditional folk dancers from Winnipeg. The Kenyans were my favorite though. They were all painted and had on these elaborate dressings. The Egyptians had no fear, they were prancing around in basically lion clothes which is all fine and dandy in the desert but here in Wisconsin, it was a bit of a shock to see. It was way fun though as we helped people learn about genealogy and hear about where they came from. There are a boat load of Germans here. Literally, loads came over on boats. They also had foods from all around the world, so we ate at Italy for supper and Servia for desert.

I'm running out of time but I did want to write quickly about Alma 44:5. In the verse Moroni is stating why he has the strength to command armies and he says "by the sacred support of our wives and our children" That hit me like a ton of bricks because I know I couldn't be on a mission without the sacred support of my family. As American Thanksgiving is this week (super excited, we have plans to be with my Dementia friends, and eat at some members homes) I just want you to know I am so thankful for you, my family. Not only would I not physically be able to be out here without your support, but I wouldn't want to be out here teaching of eternal families if I didn't love my own so much. It's a sacred support that I know I couldn't live without. I am a daughter of my heavenly Father, but I am grateful I get to be your daughter, niece, granddaughter, aunt, sister and missionary. I love you!