Thanksgiving Week

Hi Everybody!

         Sorry that I haven’t written in a few weeks! We’ve been super busy teaching and finding people to teach. I’ll try to summarize the last couple weeks in a few sentences...

- Florida weather is amazing right now - it’s in the 70s during the day and gets into the 50’s at night. It’s pretty sad, but the mornings are freezing cold to me now... Back in Wisconsin, I prayed for days in the 50’s at this time of year! So I’m a cold weather wimp now.

- We have been teaching this brother named Josh for 9 months now and he still hasn’t been baptized. There were a couple things holding him back, one of them being getting married to his girlfriend who he lives with. He got married this week, and we set a baptismal date with him for the end of December - so that was awesome!

- Thanksgiving was so fun - we had Thanksgiving dinner with two families on Thursday. Two full dinners - Turkey, mashed potatoes, candied yams, stuffing, mac and cheese (I guess that’s a southern thanksgiving thing?), etc. How did I survive? Not totally sure. But I did.

I also wanted to tell everybody about the #Light the World initiative being put out by the church. Go to Mormon.org (do it. Like honestly, finish reading this and do it!) and you will see a message about “25 ways in 25 days” - different service ideas and ways to “Light the World” this Christmas season. I would love you hear input from y’all on miracles you see from doing it and ideas for how I can share it with the people here in Florida - I need your help with creative ideas for it.

        Here’s a poem about thankfulness with Thanksgiving this past week. Love you all - I hope you have a week filled with lighting the world and service!

This season and this time,

The atmosphere’s sublime,

To serve and share God’s love,

To point to heav’n above.

I’m thankful for a lot,

For blessings that I’ve got,

But more importantly,

I’m grateful to be me.

I’m grateful for my mom,

I’m grateful for my dad,

My sisters and my brothers,

And fifty thousands others.

The live I get to live,

The love I get to give,

The chance I have to serve,

The gifts I don’t deserve.

Elder Merrill and I today before I go to lose at basketball (as usual - nothing out of the ordinary.)

Before our first dinner on thanksgiving!
 I love Elder Merrill - he’s really fun to be companions with.