Happy Thanksgiving

 Hello!!! How is everyone doing?? I haven't been hearing from
very many people so I hope everything is still going okay everywhere!
:) I can't believe it is already the Holiday season...It is so weird!
haha! I have been thinking about what it would be like to be home this
year for the holidays and I hate to say this but I am more excited to
be here this year then down there in good old Oklahoma. Don't get me
wrong, I would love to be at home spending as much time as possible
with my family and friends, but sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
during this time of year should be fun to say the least.
       I was thinking of some of our Thanksgiving traditions that we
do as a family and I remembered that I will not be there to write in
our Thanksgiving book this year to have it read with all of the other
entries....I remember that it was in this book that I announced to
everyone that I would be serving a mission. Its weird to think that it
has only been a little over year since I decided to serve and I have
been here for 9 and a half months already! Along with the book I will
miss eating Mother's amazing pumpkin pie. People here ask me what I
love to eat at Thanksgiving and I always answer them by saying that my
Mother makes the best pumpkin pie ever and that they can try to
duplicate it, but they won't succeed, BUT I also won't complain
because it will still be pumpkin pie. lol! I am a little nervous about
how much people will be feeding us! People love to feed missionaries
until we are about to explode... I have a hard time saying NO haha!
They tell me to eat more so I cave in and eat more because it tastes
SSSOOO good! haha! I will have to work out a ton after the holidays.
          So on a sad note, we had a couple rough things happen to us
this week... Our wonderful miracle family, the S family, broke up with
us. :( It was the hardest most saddening thing that has happened to me
on my entire mission so far. We had a very powerful lesson with Sis. S
and daughter, but they still decided that the church was not the path
that they wanted to be on right now. As devastated as I am about this
because I love them SO much, I am at peace about it. We left
everything on a good terms with them and they said they would continue
to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. We made sure that they
understood that we would still be more than happy to come and answer
any of their questions. I know with all my heart that they will join
the true church someday and that they will be sealed for time and
eternity in the temple. I have seen it! I have seen them in white! I
have peace in my heart and mind and I know that everything is in the
Lord's hands. He knows their hearts and he knows how to touch them
individually. I can only hope and pray that they will listen to His
answer while I am still here to see it happen. But if not, I know that
they have very strong seeds planted for future missionaries to come
and harvest later. Please continue to pray for this amazing family!
The other rough thing about this week is, the non-stop gloom
and rain has set in. It is cold and it is rainy and it is wet and it
is GRAY! All the time the sky is totally gray...But on the plus side,
there is green everywhere too. The trees are green, the ground is
green, everything is mossy, and slippery lol...So we are stocked up on
Vitamin D and C and we will make it though....Please write me some
letters, but I am not begging (pictures would me nice too) :)
           We had an amazing mission conference this week with Elder
Paul B. Pieper of the 1st Quorom of the 70. He was amazing! We spent
from 9 in the morning till 3 in the afternoon with him. He had
fantastic insights into the scriptures and I wish I could share them
all with you, but I can't. It felt like he was speaking directly to my
soul. I was so grateful for his presence and the love that he brought
to us from the prophet. I am so excited for the new missionaries that
will be coming into the field. There are people here to find! There
are people here that are seeking the truth! There are the ELECT!! Help
your missionaries FIND THE ELECT!
         I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to be a
missionary! I never realized how far I have come until I see myself in
Sis. Mecham. I am grateful to be serving here in WA! Even if it is all
rainy now. I'm grateful for the members I have been able to get to
know but more importantly the non-members I have been able to meet. I
love more people than I ever thought was possible! I love everyone I
see on the streets! I love being able to talk to EVERYONE! It is my
right as a representative of the Savior to share His light with
everyone around me. I love my job and I love how I get paid...I only
wish I could do more. I strive to do more! I am thankful for the
support I get from home! I wish you could know how grateful I am for
your prayers! I feel them. I am thankful for you, my family and
friends...I could not be out here and doing this if I didn't know you
were there to support me. I am thankful for this gospel. It is THE
ONLY WAY! Jesus Christ is my Savior, Redeemer and Friend. I am
eternally grateful for His sacrifice for ME. He loves me and I love
Him. I love my God, my Heavenly Father, He has given me so much and I
hope that I show Him everyday by the way I live my life and do His
work. I am grateful for the words of the prophets, both ancient and
modern! They are amazing! I am grateful to be alive and healthy and
happy and to live in America! I am thankful for all my many blessings!
      I am so happy! I love you all! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!