HI!!!! (Week 18)

Howdy Family!!!

 

Sorry about yesterday! We had zone conference and president interviews and didn't find out about it til late last week and couldn't email you to tell you. sorry! It was so good to hear from you all and get your emails. I love it!! Thanks for all the pictures!! That stalactite was awesome and so big! And mom, I didn't even know Sierra got married so thanks! Also, Lindsey, when Kason loses his tooth I want a picture of his smile!! Mom- yes you told me about the cruise and I'm so jealous! That will be so wonderful and I know that you can be ready in time for it! Just stay focused and work hard. You have a goal and now work for it, and you have control over all the food you eat, which I am jealous about! Sometimes we get lunch and dinner and it can just be crazy. I lost some weight this past week so that's good! Having a treadmill and working out each morning I think is helping, and also trying to just not eat. Ha Everyone here loves southern food and big portions. We do service at this man's house and he was going to get food for us at a restaurant and I said I wanted a salad because that's what I wanted and it sounded good. He was like, 'a salad! What! You can't get a salad! ' So, he ordered something else for me! ha It was so funny! Some people just don't like vegetables around here! I did get that package mom and it was wonderful!! Thank you!! I like the gps too! Also, I love those pants and the white and flower sweater is sooooo cute!! I am sending back though the plaid shirt because it is cute but I just don't think I will wear it with a skirt. The blue shirt is cute and fits me, but I'm not sure if I will keep it. It isn't the most flattering on me ;) I will send that today. Thank you so much though!! Did I tell you aunt linda sent me a christmas package!! It was nuts! She sent me so much stuff! That was so nice of her and I was really surprised to get it!  I don't need notecards yet either. I don't think I need anything else right now but if I think of something I will let you know :) I got the other package yesterday too. Thank you!!! Isaac- according to the bits I've heard it sounds like you dominated at the interviews!!! Nice work! I knew you would be great! When I tell people out here that you are going to grad school at University of Oregon and for economics everyone loves it and kind of freaks out! They are so impressed by that and start giving me tons of compliments for you! So just know that you are looked up to out here! When you start getting interviews just keep an open mind to all of your options and take it to the Lord. Take it as a compliment that all these schools want you to be on their staff!! They recognize how smart you are and the potential that you have and will reach! I know you will do great! Good Luck!

 

This week was good. I hit my 4 month mark! Can you believe it! Crazy! I had my interview with President and just kind of broke down with him, but in the end it turned out to be so good. I can see that I am getting better and that I am learning so much.  It's tough but I'm trying so hard. Mom- that paragraph in your email about remembering what people think of me and that I can make a difference was EXACTLY what I needed!! I started crying in the library! ha I feel like so many times I look back to past experiences and think of that and that maybe I can't do so much here. Maybe others are a lot better than me. I feel like maybe I'm not going to be able to say what people need here because other people are better than me. But that's what Satan wants me to feel and think. He wants me to think that I don't have worth and that I'm not a good missionary because then when I think that I won't do as well out here. I won't be able to make the big impact out here and change people's lives and give them hope and happiness. So, it's been a struggle but I'm working through it. Sis Tuckett banned me to our study room for my nightly prayers and I have to stay there for 15 minutes. I really have to earnestly pray and pray for healing, for the truth about myself, and for the strength I need and for knowing that it is ok. That is helping. I guess I thought the Atonement was just things that I did that I needed healing for, but it is also getting healing for things that have happened to me! Christ doesn't want me to keep reliving and focusing on the things of the past because that's not what matters now. It's the present and the future that I need to focus on because I can make the most difference there. The past just gave me expereiences to shape me. President was just awesome and listened to me and gave some great counsel. That man is truely inspired and knows exactly what I needed to hear. Gosh I love him and Sis Pitt!! My mission is a fresh start and a new beginning for me to change. It's a clean slate. Prayers would help though :)

 

The weather here has actually been pretty awesome! Saturday and Sunday it was like 73 degrees and sunny. It was so great and made it wonderful to go out tracting! Yesterday and today it has been raining non stop so I guess that's the cold weather hitting us. We really haven't gotten that much snow at all which is fine with me cause I'll take that. Tracting in the snow is no fun, so that is definitely a blessing although some of these hills out here can be killer! Also, did you know how much roadkill there is out here? I feel like we are always passing dead skunks, possums, and squirrels! Sad! Life here is pretty great and just going along. Just trying to help people in any way we can and tracting a lot. We need to find more solid investigators. That's about all I've got for today. Just know that missionary work is amazing and is helping me soooo much! It is so hard and challenging at times, but oh so worth it! I love it and am learning so many principles and habits that are going to help me so much when I get back home. The Lord knows what he is doing and will help us along the way, but we have to be submissive to the things that He wants to change in us. He isn't doing it to frustrate us, but to help us and let us get closer to the potential that we have. We have to see ourselves through God's eyes and not the world's eyes. Oh, could you pray for D***, B***, and R*** please? They need lots of prayers! And, I am sending pictures in a few hours!! I am using a members computer when we do laundry so pictures are coming soon! Yay! Love you all!!!

 

Love, Jenna