Six months?

Oh my gosh. I just deleted my whole e-mail on accident! So this may be a little shorter. So sorry.

Hi! Can you believe I've been out for six MONTHS this week. Six months!! I do what I just did two more times and I'm done. Weirdy. Time is very strange on a mission. James remember when you said "The days feel like weeks and the weeks feels like days"? Well, seriously. I can't think of a different way to describe the way time is going for me as a missionary.

This last week was really good! Tuesday or Wednesday we taught Doyle and he is doing so well! He will be baptized next month. He didn't come to church yesterday which was so frustrating because we talked about church so much just the night before at our lesson. He will get there though. I am the happiest when I am teaching I realized. It was like this with James and it is like this again with Doyle. Also me and Sister Cochran have been using the concept of gratitude in our lessons a LOT (seeing as it was Thanksgiving. Why not use it, right?) And we've been trying to be more grateful and it has been just so cool. I know I've talked about it before, but being grateful really will change your life. It will make you happy. I have been so happy this week and it's because I was trying to be grateful. And it is Christmas season. So nice.

Thursday was great! I wondered if I would be sad because it was my first holiday away but I wasn't sad. I try not to think about how home looks with snow and what you all were doing etc. I had such a good day! We studied in the morning because I , like, can't function without studies in the morning. And then we went to the church and played nerf wars (the chapel was off limits no worries). I kind of understand how James and Jony love to play Halo because nerf wars were so fun. We played a game called President (which my team lost EVERY time.) and we played a game called Bomb. We had the cell phones in different rooms and the goal was to get to the room and turn on the bomb and blow up their base. So fun. We won that one. We played that until our lunch at 3 oclock and then had thanksgiving with the Heinzes. It was DELICIOUS. They had a cajun turkey. It was different. But they had mashed potatoes and green been caserole and stuffing and I was in HEAVEN. Then we went up to the Corbins and just visited with them for a while. Then we went back to the church and had nerf wars until the end of the night - until 9 oclock!! It was crazy. I loved it and I was just brimming with gratitude all day long.

Saturday it rained all day long and it is now freezing here. We went tracting and I saw a scorpion! I took a picture of it all poised to attack but the picture didn't turn out, so I will send it but it may be lame. I loved it because it was gloomy and cold and listening to Christmas music was better. I just find it hard to listen to christmas music while it is 80 degrees outside. I realized this week that it is my first and last christmas as a missionary. Crazy.

Yesterday was a great day. We tracted and ran into a nutso pentecostal man. He was old and literally was yelling (not because he was angry just because he was nuts) for like 30 minutes he would not let us leave his porch. I almost died. Then at night we had dinner with the Chapmans (they are awesome. He served a mission in pocatello and is so cool. we love to talk to him about missionary stuff because he has the funniest stories) and then went to see one of my favorite less-actives Red Drye. Oh my gosh he is cool. His wife still will not speak to us, but he is the best. We talked about repentance with him.

This week will be really cool because of the nativity! Our church does this cool thing where they have all of these nativities set up in the gym and it is advertised throughout the community. I will have to send pictures, mom you will love it!! But becuase of that, we can't play basketball for the whole month of December (not that I'm heartbroken about that) but we are in Atascocita e-mailing so we can go to the gym here and the Elders can play to their heart's content.

I am really happy. Dad I was reading that talk you sent me that you gave at stake conference and my e-mail that I sent home and I see how much I've grown and changed in the past six months. I hope yall have been blessed by my service as a missionary because I have really been blessed by it. I am so thankful.

Dad, thank you for your letter this week! It sounds like everything is good at home! I was thinking about your new job and what is it exactly that you are doing all day long? Selling things? Or coordinating sales? Can you explain it to me?

Mommy, how are you? Did you have a good week? I hope you're doing good. YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK! What are yall doing for your birthday? Something HUGE I hope!! I wish I was there to celebrate- the big 3-0 right? :] How is everything going for you?

James, hello??? How are you? I bet you are busy with finals and etc. But I bet you could use a break and write to me about your life. And give me some advice. I miss your advice. :] Did you guys all decorate your planners in your missino? cause it's a huge thing here, everyone decorates their planners.

Jonny, how is senior year and how is basketball? I bet you will get more playing time if you write me a letter. That's generally how it works, I've heard.

Well, I love yall. Transfers are next week and I really don't want to leave Kingwood right before Christmas. Just pray that the Lord's will will be done, mmkay? I can live with whatever that is. It is always what's best for me.

I'm one third of the way done with my mission. It is already such a blessing. How can I improve? Tell me things I should do to be better :]

I love you all. I love this gospel, I really do. I love the Savior so much and I am so excited to talk about Him all month long. He is the reason this is such a beautiful time of year. Even though I'm no snow and not a ton of fun parties, I will be so happy. I will be serving closely beside the Man whose birth we celebrate. I just love him. I have always loved the part of O Holy Night where it says "Fall on your knees" the most. To me, that explains how I should approach our Savior. Fall on your knees.

Get into the Christmas spirit. Serve someone. Be happy. Be nice to some random somewhere. We have the greatest reason to be happy.

Love yall!!!!!

Sister Hicken

It's my first big holiday away from home!

hi family! it is my first big holiday away this week. I go through moments where that is a bummer and moments when it's okay. So who knows. Thursday is an all-day p-day this week so it will be good. We just are able to e-mail and clean and shop today. But sister cochran is sick - she threw up this morning so we are not going to be doing very much of anything today.

We had a good week. Yesterday church was really good. It is funny that I am probably about to leave Kingwood. I think I will probaly be transferred away after the first weekend in December. I have NO idea what I'm going to do in another area. In some ways it's really exciting, because six months feels way too long to be in one area and I'm just ready for a change. But on the other hand - this is all I've ever known as a missionary. I will miss this area a lot. It's weird that I (most likely) won't serve in Kingwood again. And I will miss being close to the Crawfords so much. I love them. I hope you prayed for President Crawford, his Father passed away last week. He didn't go back for the funeral but Sister Crawford did. President is such a great person. I love him!

But church yesterday was good because of the Relief Society lesson - it was by our Stake President's wife Sister Paulsen and it was awesome. She talked about how Heavenly Father creates with words and how we do too. We need to use our words to uplift ourselves and others. She also said if you are having "one of those days" just shut yourself up in your room and read your scriptures until you feel better. And I'm like "YES. I totally agree with that... but as a missionary I don't feel like I can." Any perspective on that? Last night we taught a lesson to Doyle. He is so great. I really think he will be baptized because you can feel the change in him. It's pretty cool. He has had every anti- thing thrown at him. And he is still pluggin along. I respect him so much for that.

Saturday we rode our bikes all day long. Bikes are the key to a happy mission. For reals. I love riding bikes. And the weather is so nice now (80 is about the high- the HIGH!! Can you believe it?? I think I'm going to die next summer.) that we can ride around without dying. When I come home I am riding my bike all the time.

Friday we did some bike riding and we had dinner with the Stake President and his wife. President Paulsen was called by Elder Uchtdorf to be the Stake President right after President Uchtdorf was called to be an apostle. It was his first Stake President calling I guess. He was telling us about it and Sister Paulsen was told us that President Uchtdorf called their house and was like "Hello Sister Paulsen, this is Elder Uchtdorf." and she drew a complete blank of what to say. I can totally understand that. Anyway President Paulsen gave us the name of some part member families in the ward that he wants us to go see.

Thursday we had Zone Conference. It was pretty good but I hadn't slept well the night before so I didn't soak it up very well. Plus I feel like I no longer have any missionary friends haha. I just need to be a better friend right? Another reason I am going to be glad to get out of Kingwood is that I feel like there's mission drama here and I will not have it any more.

Wednesday we had a lesson with our investigator Sandy. She was blessed as a child (because her aunt and uncle are lds I guess) and it went so well. We asked her to be baptized and she said yes, but she's about to get engaged and she wants to talk to her fella about it. Understandable. But she texted us today and cancelled our appointment. Lovely. So we'll just pray for her. Nothing we can do.

Tuesday me and Sister Lundgren were on exchanges and that was really nice. We had another severe storm warning so we were not allowed to go out. That was lame. But we had a good day.

Monday was a good p-day. We played volleyball. Let me tell you a story about little old me. I am just so competitive that I won't try. Like on p-day, when we play stuff, I won't even try because I'm afraid of being really bad at it. I am working on just doing it, even though I really don't want to. Because it is so fun. It was a good pday. Me and Sister Lundgren were together from after pday to Tuesday night so we had dinner together at pei wei, because our dinner appointment cancelled on us.

That was pretty much the week.

Mom!!! We got your package and we are SO happy. Sister Cochran was thrilled with the ensign and I was SOOOOOOOOO thrilled - you have no idea! And we love the mormon tabernacle choir cd. Our one cd was getting kind of old. We got a christmas tree from a member this week. It is like 4 feet tall and white with white lights. We are decorating it this thursday. Also on thursday we are going to the church with the other missionaries and playing "president" with nerf guns. It should be really fun, I will let you know how it goes.

Madre how is everything? Good?

Dad - I got your talk and I loved it! I felt a little weird that the entire stake knows what a nut case I am, but that's okay. they probably already knew, right? :] I hope it helped somebody out, like you said, to hear my stresses. I am learning how to not be stressed. It is all encompassed in looking toward the needs of others. For some reason, it is really difficult to put my mind on others all the time - probably because these others are investigators who are dropping us or not progressing or I don't know what to do. But the more I do it, the better off I'll be. I'm learning. How is work for you? How is the Stake? Are you getting all geared up for christmas?

James it has almost been the whole transfer since I've heard from you! I hope to hear from you soon, because I know you have stuff to update me on. School, work, life, the chicas? You're so great. I hope you are having a good semester.

Jonny, Mom sent me your pictures... oh wait I think I already commented on the hair. Did I? Well, anyway, your hair was WAY too long :] shave it all off. congratulations on making the basketball team!! I knew you would, you're such a star. how is everything going? WRITE ME.

Is it snowing there? I bet it is. I miss the snow. It's hard to listen to christmas music when it's 80 degrees. Sick.

Um KATIE POULSON YOU ARE ENGAGED?!?!? I cannot believe that that's so exciting!! I wish I could be at your wedding!! You will have to write me once you are married and settled down and tell me how you met this fella and how you fell in love and etc. It is so crazy that you are getting married!! Cool, but crazy.

Since it is coming on Thanksgiving I have been thinking a lot about being Thankful and Grateful. That is how the Lord would have us be. Because we will do so much more good when we focus on the good things in our lives. There will always be hard things. There will always be something difficult going on in our lives. But we don't have to be consumed by it. We can let go of those things as we hold on to being grateful for what's good. Focus on what blessings you have. We have so much good in our lives. I'm thankful for you, my wonderful family. You are the number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (wilsy:] ) things on my list of things to be grateful for. I am thankful for this country that we live in. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to serve the Lord on a mission. Sometimes I forget the "why" of me being here. I am so focused on how I'm doing and how I'm feeling that I forget why I am here. One of the reasons is because the Lord has blessed me so much - with a knowledge of the gospel and a family and His church. I am always in His debt, but it's the least I can do to serve Him in the ways that I am able to. I'm thankful for President and Sister Crawford. They are incredible and I can't believe that in one year I will just say adios to them and go separate ways. I love them. I am thankful for the other missionaries I have met. I am thankful to be companions with Sister Cochran. I am thankful for the hard lessons I am learning. I am thankful above all that my Father in Heaven sees me as who I can be and will not settle for less. He never will. I am thankful for that. And I'm thankful that my Savior is right there, alongside me, every single step of the way. He will not give up or give in or settle for less either. We're all on the road to perfection here, and They will not settle for less than that. Once we know the way, and we decide to go in the way, they are committed. 100% to getting us there. I AM SO THANKFUL FOR THAT. I am thankful for the leaders of the church. I am thankful for their love of all of us.

I'm thankful for the pretty awesome life I've had so far. I was talking to Sister Cochran last night and I realized I've had a really good life. I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful that you all get to get together on Thursday and think of things your thankful for. Do it.And then do it again the next day- think of things you're thankful for. It will change your life, I promise.

I love you. I'm still here, still workin on it all. I'm grateful for that too :]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving is next week!

Hey family! How are yall? :] I'm getting to be pretty firmly attached to my Texan lingo. Get ready for it when I get home.

So in about 2 weeks I will have only 12 months left - only one year. I will have been on a mission for 6 months. Weird, right? I hope you have been seeing blessings in the past 6 months. I have been seeing a lot of blessings. A lot of trials that ARE blessings. Cool huh? I hope you don't feel like all I am is negative and complaining, I'm trying not to be negative. President Rasband talked about missionary work being difficult, and it is and I think that I'm always going to have a stuggle of some sort going on. Maybe not, but for the time being that seems like it's the case. These hard things and trials really do bless me in the long run though. That doesn't make them any more fun to go through. The Lord knew exactly where I needed to serve to help me to grow the most. And it's for sure going on. I'm being so blessed though. I can think about that when I have a minute to sit down and write to you or write in my journal.

So. This last week pretty much all of our investigators dropped us, ditched us, or dropped off the face of the earth. Doyle is MIA and won't return phone calls. We're going over tonight to just knock on the door and see how he is. We did find someone new to teach, and it's actually someone we have been going by since July. Since before we found James, cause he lives on James' street. Mario. He is cool. He is pretty firmly Catholic, but we explained about the Book of Mormon and he really wants to read it. Sweet! That will be the answer for him.

Speaking of, James is doing well. He is going to institue every week and he came to church in our ward on Sunday (instead of in Lufkin with his kids). He just has so much going on. He has made some pretty interesting choices in life, but we know he is doing well. We talked to him about the temple this week, about how he needs to prepare himself to go. James is a guy that just smiles all the time, though, and sometimes when we're talking or even in church, he is just looking at me and smiling. And I think that's a little weird from time to time. It worries me haha. But it's all good.

President Rasband this week - WOW! So cool. Especially because it was another Tri-Wizard Tournament and I love those because I got to see Sister Hurren, Elder Curtis and Elder Leishman. Oh, I just LOVE and adore them. They seem like they're doing good. President Rasband talked more about "The divine call of a missionary" like his talk from conference last year (or whenever it was). He also talked to us about the missionaries in the McAllen mission that were killed. He said that while he was an area authority another missionary was killed in the field and President Hinckley called him up and asked him to go to the funeral. Pres Rasband was like "Yes, President. You did schedule me to go to another meeting in Florida this week, though.." (something totally respectful though. that doesn't sound respectful haha sorry President Rasband) and President Hinckley said "You go on behalf of the first presidency." He said that the missionaries are so important the the President of the church and the 12. If President Monson were there, he would say two things to us: 1. Thank you 2. I love you. Me and Sister Cochran talked a lot about how we love the apostles. We got our conference ensign but we have to share it which is no bueno cause we both want it all the time :].We are so lucky to have the general authorities.

Well, my desire to do missionary work has just gone down the tubes this past week. I don't know why, really. For one thing, I don't feel like I'm doing any good for anyone. And I have been feeling a lot of stress and I've come to discover that when I feel stress I just want to shut down. I'm not really sure why this is going on - like what triggered it - but me and Sister Cochran are going to try some things and then go to Sister Crawford if it doesn't get better. My problem with it all, is I feel like everyone just wants me to feel better so I can hurry and not be a burden to them anymore. Like, hurry to get better so you can work. Which is true. But this week I realized that the only person out here who wants me to get better just so that I'll feel better is probably my Savior. And I am so grateful for Him. He wants me to feel good so that I will feel good. Of course He wants me to work hard but I know that He cares about ME. And how I feel and what I want. I'm trying to be a good kid.

President Crawford's dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer this week, so will you all please keep him and his family in your prayers? They do so much for us and I know they will need the Lord's strength during this time. Losing a parent while you have all of this mission as a responsibility has got to be really difficult. I can't even imagine. I don't feel like I can check out for a single second, no matter what is going on, and so he must feel that strain X 1000.

We're listening to Christmas music already! We love it. It lifts our spirits so much!! I wish it was Christmas all year long. People are going to feel the Spirit of Christmas and that will make it much easier to respond to our message I know. I hope yall are enjoying the snow!!! I am so jealous. We wish we had snow here. At least it's cooler right? Sometimes we look back and we're like "Um... HOW did we last in 100 degrees every day in August???" I have no idea. Seriously, how did we do it??

Mom, thank you for the package. I'm loving the clothes!! Thanks for you letter too. I love hearing about what's going on at home. How is Grandma? Tell her I love her and that she is fabulous. Are you decorating a little bit? The weirdest thing is that I will be home for next Christmas!! Also weird - I get to talk to yall in like 6 weeks!! Like 40 days or something like that!!! I'm so excited.

Dad, thank you for your letter also!! I'm glad to hear that work is good. How did your mission president meeting go? I hope that things turn around in the area. Keep trying, good things are to come! Is the Stake doing anything for Christmas? The Stake here does a huge nativity thing and they invite the whole community. That will be the first weekend in December, so I will for sure be here for that.

James, how is school and work? How is life? Are you guys doing anything big for Christmas in your single's ward? What's new and fun in your life?

Jonny, your hair was SO LONG in your school picture!!! HOLY! How did basketball tryouts go? I prayed for you :] So that means, whatever happens, the Lord is in it. Cool huh?

I love you all so much. I'm sorry that I tell you guys about the difficult stuff. I hope you don't mind. I miss you and love you and am excited for what's going on in your lives.

Speaking of, any news from home or family that I should know about? Any weddings or babies or big events?

Love you all. Have a good week.

(Pictures: the new BANGS!)

November!?

Hello my family! I had a really good week last week. Ups and downs like normal missionary life but it was good.

Monday we went to visit the old man in our ward whose wife just passed away, Brother Pudil. He is great. We sang a song to him - Because I Have Been Given Much. That is his favorite hymn. He has a pretty cool story. He was raised in the foster care system, and in orphanages. When he was in college he met with the missionaries and shortly after that met his wife. She has met with the missionaries in college as well. She grew up near an orphanage and would over and give one of the little boys there sweets from time to time. Years later, Brother and Sister Pudil were talking about the situation and figured out that the little orphan boy was him that she would give candy to. Isn't that cool? Poor Brother Pudil, he is very sad.

Tuesday we had a member of the ward come out with us (the best! I love when members come out with us) and our appointments fell through. So we went finding. And we started talking to this Hispanic family with her sorta-English and my sorta-Spanish. But after a while we sat down and actually shared a message with them! In Spanish! Sister Cochran was like "Gift of Tongues??" and you know what it probably was. My spanish wasn't that good, but they understood what I was saying (I shared Mosiah 4:9 and I know the word for Believe and God in Spanish. So... there you go.) But Spanish words definitely came to my mind throughout. It was cool.

We worked a TON with Less Active members this week. We don't know why, but we just kept feeling promptings to go see them. And it turned out so good on so many accounts. I kind of got sick this week, but one day we went to see this woman, Lisa, and her daughter and we just love them. They are moving across the road and we were able to help them box up some stuff. They are great.

Thursday night we had a church tour with Doyle and Sister Lee. When Doyle got there, he was extremely hostile and kept throwing out this random accusations and facts, like for example the Priesthood and black people not having it for a while. And we just tried to redirect him after we resolved his concerns the best we could. But he was pretty hostile all the way until we were at the sacrament table and I felt like I should bear my testimony about the Savior and why I love Him and why I take the sacrament. And I looked him right in the eye and did. And then we went and talked in front of the baptismal font and he was great. So happy and so talkative. He is still pressing forward toward baptism, but he didn't come to church yesterday so we will have to change the date that that happens. It went extremely well, though.

We also saw Sister Harless a lot this week. Have I ever told you about Sister Harless. She is incredible. She is like 80 years old and at age 68 she served a mission for a year in New York City. She is still just full of life and energy and she has had the coolest life. I just love to listen to her stories. Her life has been so full. It's kind of the same with Sister Kretschmer. This week when we saw her, we talked about "jumping in" and she was telling us about something that had happened in her life and I told her I thought she had had a really great life and she said "well, you just have to jump in." and I think that is so profound. And so what the gospel teaches us too. We are supposed to get involved and live and help others and have JOY. Men are that they might have joy right?

This Friday, we had Zone Meeting (the last one, I guess, President is pulling the chord on those apparently) and after zone meeting I am usually like "uggggggh, I just like being around people that don't hate me and that are my friends and it's hard to go back to work." but this Friday we went and taught Anna (our new investigator) and she just cried the whole time. It was so timely for her. We are going back this Friday. She is great. I hope we can help her.

Saturday we went and saw one of our potential investigators mother. And her mother became our investigator. She was born in Utah and was actually blessed as a baby (her aunt and uncle are LDS and she called it "christened" but we got the gist).She is really open and we hope we can bring the spirit in so that it can teach. Because if we try to do it ourselves, we will botch it to death. Sister Crawford may be coming to our return appointment on Thursday. We hope so. We love Sister Crawford.

This coming week will be really good. Guess who is coming to Houtson?? Elder Ronald A. Rasband! (I think that's his first name, right?) I was like "Heyyyy I know his family!" He is coming to speak to all of the Houston missions. I am way excited. It should be fantastic.

I am learning so much. Guess what, it keeps going fast!! That is still exciting to me. I'm sure at some point I will hate how fast it goes, but at this point to move faster than a snail's pace is really thrilling. That means I am happy. I have learned that people don't want us to be their friends. They want us to be missionaries. The ward, the investigators, they don't want us to be chummy with them and tell them it's okay if they don't keep commitments or tell them they don't have to do missionary work. They want us to ask them to do things. We need to be BOLD. That is so hard for me, because I really want people to like me. But we have been studying from the 4 gospels, you know, and right now we're in Luke. And a recurring theme throughout all of them is "Whosover shall lose his life, shall find it." That is what I have to do. That is what we all have to do is lose our lives. Lose it all in the service of others and of our God. He will give us so much more than we give up. He will make us so much more than we can make. Like the 4th missionary says "He will create a masterpiece, you will create a smudge. You will create an ordinary man, He will create a God... Just give it up. Surrender your will to His." OH my gosh, it's so cool! I love thinking about these kind of things. These have been my thoughts of late, rather than thoughts of "oh my gosh this is so hard this is so hard!!" because it is still hard, but it is life. This is my life now and it is going to be alright. We talked to one of our ward members who really is struggling right now and told her to read Ether 1-7. I LOVE Ether. The whole thing is a metaphor. We have to believe that, thought the waves are going to dash and push us around, the lord says "I will bring you up again out of the waves". and After they got into the barges "the wind did never cease to blow toward the promised land." When we ask the lord for something, when we ask for a "promised land" we have to then get into our barges and allow the the Lord to take us where we need to go. Because, He has promised that the wind will never cease to blow us toward our promised land. If we've asked for something good, the Lord is going to help us get there. He will never give in or give up on us. He will NEVER do that. I thought a lot about ABA therapy in conjunction with that. When the kids have a tantrum, we as the therapist are supposed to not react. Because we know that they are just throwing a tantrum and that in the long run, we want more for them then their happiness in that moment. We want them to be able to go to school and go on with life and have everything they want. so BECAUSE of that, we don't reach over and hug them and give them what they want. It's the same with the Lord, he will NEVER give up on us. When we throw our tantrums, he will never give in to them. He loves us. He wants us to have so much more happiness than what we can see in front of us. So He will not take away our trails because if He did, we wouldn't be as happy. He will never give up on us and give in to our tantrums. The wind will never cease to blow us toward the promised land, but that also means the wind will never cease to blow. We have to have faith in Him! Trust Him who knows what we can be and where He is leading us. :] I'm feeling good lately, can you tell?

In 3 weeks, I will have been on a mission for 6 months!! Mikelle will be half way through her mission. Nuts.

Mom I LOVED your letter. Every time you think your life is boring, just know that I eat it all up. I love hearing about your day to day stuff. Tell Grandma that I love her so much this weekend, okay? I'm glad you get to spend time with her too. Will you tell Diane that Daren put his home address on the letter he sent me, so I want to know if I should just mail my letter to their house or if she has another address to give me? Thanks. Thank you also for the talk Uchtdorfs. He is so great. How was your week this week? Snow yet? Want to switch? I bet you do, our days are GORGEOUS right now.

Dad, you were the tangled princess for halloween?? Why did you choose her?? No complaints, I loved that movie a lot. Did you get a picture of it. How is everything else going? What is work life like for you now? Tell me about it :]

James, please tell me you were a Disney princess at work for Halloween as well! did you ahve to dress up? or GET to dress up I guess? School is winding down now, huh? Getting geared up for finals?? Do you have to plan the christmas party since you are the elders quorum president? you should be santa. that would be neat. Today we were changing CDs in the car and guess what show was on "the sean hannidy show" that reminded me of you.

Jonny I would like an Indian costume picture. That sounds so fun! How was MORP,. Mom says basketball try outs are today. We will pray for you. :] I hope you do good. I'm sure you will you are a rockstar. How is life as a senior?? You are a good boy. Keep being a good boy and get out on a mission.You will be so great out here.

Yall are so great! I bought your Christmas present today!!! You will LOVE it. Stay tuned. I hoep you have a great day. Here are some pictures.

OH MY GOSH I forgot to tell you. Mmkay, I don't know if I ever told you about Elder Peterson? Well he is great and we love him and he just went home this transfer. But he is back to visit and guess who his mother is Carolyn Hebertson!!... I think. she went to high school with you guys? I am attaching a picture. Yeah, she is Petey's mom. Nuts, huh?? small world.

LOVE YOU GUYS SOOO MUCH have a good week and write me a letter. Muchas gracais.

We had Sisters Day this week. It was phenominal. I loved it. Sister Cochran and Sister Baldwin and I were all MTC muchachas together. I told you about sister Temple and her son right? well this is a picture of them.... and sister temple looks like she is a vampire!! I can't believe it. She really is a beautiful old lady. I hope I age like she did.