Thankful List and More

Hola!

How are things with you all? I want to hear from people... I did hear from the ward a week or so ago! Tell people thanks! :)

So about that spider. I wouldn't have gone within 34 feet of it. Except it had one of it's legs caught in the door. So I poked it with a stick until it's leg fell off. Then I hurried and squished it. It was disgusting and I could feel it squish through my shoe. Not like into my shoe, but it was a big one. I also probably wouldn't have killed it, except I didn't want it to get into that person's house. You're welcome, mystery person. 

So it has been super cold the past few days. I think I will stop at target today and get the super warm and wonderful sweater they have there to wear underneath my coats. And without coats. Whichever I feel like. But yeah, layers are important.

My companion has been sick the past few days, so we've mostly been staying home. But I got the General Conference DVD of the last conference that I ordered from the office! It is fantastic! I've been watching a few of the talks over again the past few days while Hermana Chambers has been sleeping. And reading the Conference Ensign/Liahona during studies. If you ever see a spanish conference liahona, you could send it to me! They only give us one per companionship of those too, and Hermana Chambers has been studying the Liahona during language study lately. I have been reading the Book of Mormon during mine, and it is way cool to read the scriptures in a different language; because it really helps clarify the scriptural language they use and see the scriptures from a bit different perspective. There are a lot of different insights I've gotten reading the same scriptures I've read a million times in English just by reading them in Spanish. I'm really glad I'm a Spanish speaking missionary. Also the Spanish people are great. They have really given me a big appreciation for other cultures and how much different they really are. But at the same time, how unified we all are. I don't know. It's hard to explain. But it's cool!

Oh yeah, Thanksgiving. Yeah, we have a dinner. I'm not exactly sure what it will be like. There may or may not be turkey. Thanksgiving is kind of an American holiday, and the person we are going to is Hispanic. But she is a really good cook so I'm sure whatever it is will be great! And it isn't until like 6:00, so I don't know what we'll do the rest of the day. But it is one of the two days of the year when all the missionaries in the ward can eat together (the other one is Christmas). We have a rule in our mission that only one companionship can be at a dinner at a time. Everyone hates that rule (especially the members) but it does make a much more effective use of time. 

Ummm..... I don't know what else to say. So I'm going to make a grateful list! Here we go! I'm grateful for:

!. My wonderful family!

2. My companion

3. The Gospel!

4. A car

5. Food

6. Humidity. It is doing great things for my hair. It has been more manageable than it ever has before! Yay! Also it is growing much longer with less split ends. Even though the humidity makes it super hot or super cold. 

7. Virginia Fall

8. Computers to use so I can email you all.

9. President Wilson and Sister Wilson

10. Coats/footpillows/blankets/warm things/my mittens! Also that almost all hispanic houses are SUPER warm because they all hate the cold. 

11. Children

12. Ponies

13. This ward/my home ward

14. That I didn't get transferred right before the holidays

15. Chickens.

16. The scriptures

17. A prophet/apostles/general authorities

18. I'm a Spanish Misionera!

19. Money

20. The blue house. It's adorable.  (This is where she is living now)

21. Prayers

22. Church/the sacrament

23. The mission library/church books/church movies

24. Our investigators

25. This area. It has a ton of potential, and we are finally getting more time freed up to go find new people.

26. The Holy Ghost

27. That my parents taught me how to be independent and work

28. The opportunity to be a missionary at this exciting time. It is helping me learn and grow so much and prepare someday to be a wife/mother/whatever else I will be doing with my life. 

29. Jesus Christ/the atonement

30. A Heavenly Father who loves me!

31. Leaders of the church, here and back home and everywhere else.

32. Education that I've received. Teaching hispanics really makes me realize how good I've had it there. We've taught people who can't even read at all. "E", our investigator struggles with it. Her 9-year-old son reads better than her. But she loves reading anyways. Education is good. 

33. Air-conditioning/heating

34. That I'm prettier than a turkey. They are really unfortunate looking. 

35. My senses

36. Pictures

37. I can play the piano! But I hope I will still be able to by the time I get home. I never really have time to practice. Or a piano. 

Yeah, 37 is probably enough for now. But that was lovely. 

Oh, by the way I'm finally driving now. Elder Burton (who is the senior missionary over cars) told me I could drive for a while if I wanted. Which is great, because I've missed driving, lots. This car has kind of touchy acceleration and brakes, so It seems like I'm a spazzy driver, but I'm not, I promise. Also It has really fast acceleration, which I'm not used to, so that doesn't help. When you go from driving the Nissan and a Suburban around to a fairly nice newish (sort of) car, it is a bit strange. And our car is the 2nd oldest in the whole mission. Well, I don't know about oldest, but it has the 2nd highest amount of miles on it. It doesn't even have 62,000 on it, but usually they switch them out before now for brand new ones. They've just had a lot of expanding going on. But now that the mission is about 50 missionaries over its maximum, they finally are only letting in the same number as leave. No more 37 new missionary transfers. Which is good for everyone. But yeah. 

So yeah. Those are basically my thoughts this morning. 

How are things with everyone? Tell me stuff. Ummm... yeah. 

BYE, LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a good day....

Hermana Emily Pratt