Thanksgiving (11.25.2013)

I’m sorry that there were so many issues in trying to e-mail me this week! That’s always frustrating when you’ve typed a big long thing and then in the blink of an eye it just disappears! I’m grateful that you recreated it as best as you could. It made me tear up and smile as I sat reading it in the library. To answer your questions…contacts…did Dad get me a membership? If so I can go and get it figured out this week, but I have to know that first. Music…I was able to print out the hard copy so no worries there. My Thanksgiving Plans…a pretty normal day except it will be filled with a lot more food! I think we are going to mostly visit with members that day and try and share the temple presentation we have with them and talk about the things that we are grateful for. The final question…I didn’t remember every word of the song and I tried to look up the words on lds.org but apparently it’s copyrighted so I’ll have to read it when I get home. I know it’s great though! I haven’t gotten the package yet, but I’m excited for it and I am sure that I will love it. I loved your list of the things that you are grateful for and I think I will follow suit and share mine too. 

A: Arizona!

B: Baking. Yum!

C: Cars, contacts

D: Dad

E: Earth

F: Family J

G: the Gospel

H: Home, Happiness
I: Investigators
J: Jesus Christ
K: Kids
L: Laughter, Love, Life, Learning, Languages
M: Mom, Music, Missionary Work
N: Nieces and Nephews
O: Optimism
P: Prophets, Plan of Salvation
Q: Questions that are answered
R: the Restoration
S: Sunshine, Scriptures
T: Temples, Time
U: Umbrellas
V: Volleyball
W: Ward families
X: Xylophones
Y: Youth
Z: Zippers

(sorry that X and Y are so lame! I couldn't think of anything!) I’m really just grateful for everything that I have. While I think we should be grateful all year round, I love this time of year when we remind ourselves of just how truly blessed we are. I am most grateful for the beautiful family I was blessed to be born into. I am also extremely grateful for the gospel in my life and for how much it has helped me. I don’t know where I would be without out my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I see their hand in my life each day and I know, without a doubt, that they love each and every one of us. 

My week has been a good one. Let me tell you a little bit about it J Last Tuesday we had an Expanded Zone Conference. It was probably about 4 zones and then all of the people we invited to some from our zones, so basically a lot of people! President Nattress did some trainings and it was just really cool! The only downside? Elder Lillywhite found out that day at about 4:00 that he was going to be doing the musical number which means he called me and asked me to play the piano. We met at the stake center and ran through it twice and called it good. Then the performance that night came and it was just rough. On my part that is! He sounded great, but I was just a mess. One of the pages fell off and although I kept playing and Elder Komm put it back up for me…it stressed me out and it’s safe to say that I pretty much butchered the song. But hey, I kept going! And that’s like rule number one of accompanying, right? Elder Lillywhite really could just do it all himself, but it’s easier not to have to. Seriously though. He is way musically talented. Before our coordination meeting on Wednesday night he played and sang a song that he wrote and it was beautiful! Remind me to practice the piano more when I get home!

Friday was a really cool day because Elder Bruce D. Porter of the Seventy came to our mission on assignment and spoke to us. He talked a lot about the Doctrine of Christ and how essential it truly is and how we should focus on it as missionaries and when we return home. He interviewed a few people afterwards and Hermana Bukoskie and Hermana Chavarri both got chosen! It was just what Hermana Bukoskie needed right now so I was really happy for her. 

Friday also brought tons of rain!! You wrote all about your sunny days and it looks like we got your rain! I actually enjoyed it though because it reminded me of home and made it seem more like fall and that it actually is almost December and Christmas. Sun everyday tricks my brain and makes it hard for me to believe that December begins in less than a week! While the rain reminded me of home I just don’t think that Arizona knows how to handle it quite as well. The ground doesn’t soak up as much water! Which meant that to get out of the car that night when we got home I had to take of my shoes and walk in the big puddle. It was fun

The crowning event of the week was easily Jonathan’s baptism on Saturday! It was so awesome I also had the chance to redeem myself from the Tuesday night. Elder Lillywhite sang and I played and it was a song I had played before so it went a lot more smoothly J We found a picture of the El Salvador picture in the Ensign I was reading so we cute it out, mounted it on some construction paper (we do what we can) and gave it to him. He liked it! He had no idea that there was one in El Salvador! Now he can prepare to go there Sunday he was confirmed and it was an amazing blessing! We wrote it down as his friend gave it and then translated it into Spanish for him. We are going to give it to him tonight. We were worried because he wasn’t there when Sacrament Meeting started. He walked in literally just in time to walk in the back and keep on walking onto the stand. It was perfect! 

It was a great week and this coming week should be awesome as well! I don’t know how my stomach is going to handle Thursday, but it will be good J I love you so much and am so grateful for you!

 

Con amor,

Hermana Baria

 

P. S. Can you believe that a month from today is Skype time?! Crazy.