hermana k. rife goes to texas: Reasons to Be Thankful

Hello my dear family!

What a wonderful time of year. I was a bit worried about the holidays when I came on my mission. I was worried about being homesick and wanting to be home but to tell you the truth I Love being a missionary during these times. It is so fun. There are so many reasons for me to be thankful. I thought I would just list a few of the things i am grateful for right now! Not in order.

The Gospel. The Scriptures. My Mission. My Family. My Bed and sleeping (those are first) :) Hot Chocolate. Singing and Music. PB & Js. Sunshine. The wonderful members of BC 2. Miracles. Hermana Hill says the spirit...:D so I guess i have to be grateful for her too. haha just kidding. I love her! Laughing. All the wonderful people I get to be in contact with.

It sounds like you all had quite the week! :) I am glad to hear that everyone is doing so good. I appreciated your funny stories. They put a smile on my face. How awkward about the new years happening! hahaha :D ohhhh crazy memories. I guess he didn't think it was that bad because he still put in a good word for kendra! :) He is a good person. I have to apologize...you will be getting double duty letters in the mail this week. I didn't quite get them all done and then I was going to finish tuesday morning and send them off but it didn't happen. I just decided on wednesday that I would send them with the boys...so forgive me. I am a little slacker.

I am glad that Brother Jarmen is willing to help me. Honestly, I haven't prayed or even really thought about anything when I come home but I feel like that would be a wonderful and beautiful opportunity for me. As for now...that will have to wait, I can hardly stay awake during my prayers for things that are most important right now let alone trying to figure out other things. It might also be that I am in big time denial as well but that is besides the point. It is almost december! how is that possible? There is Christmas music playing in all the stores. It is fun to hear it! We have been holding off to sing the christmas hymns until December but I am getting excited. Christmas is really wonderful on the mission. It is the perfect time to help people because their hearts are more open to a message about Jesus.

La Familia Argueta: I have the most beautiful miracle to share for this week. Last week on exchanges Hermana McCleary stopped us and told me that we needed to contact this family who was outside. We pulled over and walked back to their house and started talking to them. We set an appointment and then this last wednesday was the day of our cita. We went and it was awesome! We got to know them more and explained about our purpose. It is a family of 5 and 6 with the grandma who lives there. The abuela was there but the mother wasn't. We felt really good about all of them but I was worried about if the Mom would be open. We set a cita for saturday and when we went back we met the mom and taught the restoration. It was a really great lesson. They all were involved and asking great questions. Then here comes the good part. We invited them to church and they said they would come. Sunday came and the most beautiful family walked in the door. They have 3 beautiful girls 14, 12, 10 and then the mother father and grandma. The mother wasn't able to come because she had to work but they came and stayed all three hours. The girls LOVED young womans and they told us that after we left they all read the book of mormon and prayed together and personally about joseph smith. They said they felt really good about the feelings they felt. It was just such a miracle. I feel like they are going to be baptized. I feel so blessed to be able to work with such wonderful people.

ps: dad right now mary did you know is playing...i can't help but think of you when i listen to this song! :)

Alicia: Another wonderful miracle. We have still been teaching her but she hasn't come to church and it has been hard because she can only progress so much until she comes. She told us that she doesn't want to do this by herself and that she wants her family to be involved. We hadn't been able to meet her husband and talk with him and so that was one of our goals for her. We told her that we wanted to meet him. One day we went over and then he ended up coming home early. We got to meet with him and we shared a message about prayer. We sang as he and hermana hill played the guitar to nearer my god to thee. It was awesome and he told us that if he didn't work on sunday that he would come with alicia to church. They didn't come but it was a step forward that we could meet him. I think this week we are going to try to set a cita for when he will be home!

It is our second week as being a split ward and it went really good. I love our ward and new bishopric. Tonight we have an FHE with the bishop and his family and one of their neighbors so we are just a bit excited about their efforts to share the gospel. :)

I have been reading the book of mormon. As I have been reading it this time around I feel a special spirit. I feel like I am understanding a lot more that I didn't catch before. I know that the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ and is true and will help us through all of the experiences we pass in our lives. I know that when we read it that we will feel the spirit and have a better day. I love that book and i hope all of you are continuing to gain a stronger testimony of the principles that are inside of it.

Well. I hope your thanksgiving is soooo great! Don't eat too much. Enjoy it though. I love you all a ton and hope you all can feel it! I will talk to you all next week! Thanks for all your prayers, support and love. Remember who you are and to whom you belong to.

Off finding the tens of thousands!

Hermana Rife