Monday, November 25, 2013

Give Thanks :)

Hello all:)
 
First off, I hope ya'll have a tremendous Thanksgiving! It's going to be a different one out here, that's for sure, but you can bet your bottom dollar that we WILL be getting fed... holy cow are we going to get fed... We have a Thanksgiving on Wednesday night, 2 on Thursday (one of which we are helping to serve at the YMCA here in town), and 1 on Friday.  YAY FOR FOOOOOOD.
 
This week has been good! They are always good! There are always miracles:) It has been a slower one though. We weren't able to see as many people as we had planned.
 
Monday, we made orange cookies! Sister Carpenter has an awesome recipe! We always take the cookies we make around to all our people, and they all just loved them. YAY for orange chocolate:) Also, Monday, I chopped my hair off-- like for real this time. It's short:) CRAZY.
 
We did a lot of service this week. INSIDE service as it is getting SO COLD!!! -10 wind chill the other day. Yikes. So we hung pictures, helped cook, and painted inside-- helping out our investigators and less-actives.
 
We are teaching this AWESOME FAMILY!!! We started teaching their 14 year-old daughter before I even got to this area. She is such a great little girl. The more and more we went over to her house, to more comfortable her parents got with us, and NOW we're teaching them!! They are a family of 6, without a car, so it's a little tricky trying to figure out how to get them to church. They probably won't be able to come till the beginning of the year, but they both have church hopped for YEARS trying to find the right one. When we began teaching them, they were amazed at how our doctrine lines up EXACTLY with things that they have come up with on their own after jumping from church to church. She mentioned that our doctrine is what they have always believed- wrapped up into one church. They love it! As of now, they are taking the gospel VERY logically, but we're focusing on how we can get them to FEEL it. To recieve answers from the Holy Ghost and to have it revealed in their HEARTS that this is true. They are great though and I love them:) They have their daughter and 3 other little boys.
 
There are 2 boys here that have cute little crushes on me... hahah they're the cutest. :):)
 
We made a couple of CD's this week for our young women investigators. We put a playlist together and had a member put it on a CD for us to give to them with some uplifting music and a little note from us. It was fun! And in the process, this member made US some CD's-- so we're loaded with a few new songs which is ALWAYS a plus out here :)
 
Speaking of music.... we got roped into singing in the ward choir for Christmas! I don't have a problem with it.. but Sister Carpenter isn't too fond of the idea ;) She claims she can't sing. We'll also be singing for the ward Christmas party. Us, with the Elders are putting something together, but we're waiting till after this week to figure it out because of transfers.
 
WE FIND OUT ON THANKSGIVING MORNING. I'm hoping and praying that I don't get transfered. I'm not ready to leave these people yet!!
 
It's going to be a crazy beyond crazy week... This morning we cleaned like crazy and started packing because ALL this week we will be staying with the Glenwood Sisters. Our members that we live with have a daughter that is flying in tonight, so we're getting kicked out this whole week. So we'll be driving back and forth all week and it's going to be crazy. Then with transfers we might be driving all the way back to Omaha. LOTS of driving. So we have word searches to keep us busy in the car:) I've fallen in love with word searches:) hahah lame, I know :)
 
We will also be driving back to the trail center tomorrow! I love going back to the trail center. Heavenly Father blessed me SO MUCH by allowing me to serve there my first transfer. I love going back to see the sisters and senior couples:) And tomorrow we're taking an investigator and her husband up!! We love them so much. She has claimed she will NEVER become a mormon, but it's been SO amazing to see Heavenly Father working and preparing her. She doesn't see it, but BOY do we see it!!! She's amazing! Just stubborn ;) We're STOKED to both be able to take her on a tour:):) Gotta LOVE the trail center:)
 
So I had a HUGE surprise yesterday!! Holy cow, yes. We had a few meetings before church and then we were outside the chapel chatting with the 1st councilor and the Elders when I see a familiar face walk in the door. And NOT familiar from mission life-- but from home life. JULI WEBB walked in the door. Hahah I was speechless. Apparently her aunt lives in the ward and her and her husband and family are here for Thanksgiving. Umm.... WHAT ARE THE ODDS??? In Shenedoah, Iowa... who'da thunk?? She didn't know I was serving here. So they were there for sacrament and then we chatted after sacrament and we got a picture. We have plans to go to her aunts house for a Thanksgiving dinner on Friday to share a little message with them. Sweet!  Totally blew me away, and confirmed even MORE how much I LOVE being out here on a mission and how BLESSED I am. I'm a huge believe in there are no coincidences. So it's been awesome to see why Heavenly Father has put me right here right now and what surprises he ALWAYS has in store for me. :)
 
I absolutely love this ward... we're like one big family and they make me so happy. I'm nervous for transfers this week. I don't know what I am going to do if Sister Carpenter leaves :(:( And if I leave?? ahhhh we'll see!! Heavenly Father is always good about tricking me ;) And I love Him every day for it:)
 
Love is the greatest. It's the absolute best and I am SO GRATEFUL for the charity that he has given me for all of the people that we meet every single day. Charity never faileth!! And is the greatest of all the gifts of God.
 
I thank Heavenly Father from the deepest parts of my heart for all the things he has blessed me with in the past and present and future. I've never been able to, and never WILL be able to comprehend the love that He has for me. He has given me sooooo much!! SOOOO many miracles.
 
Count your blessings <3
 
I am so grateful for you all. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU has made an impact in my life. I hope you all can understand how much I love you. We are all placed in certain positions for a reason, and you all are part of my life for a reason. I thank you sooo much.
 
Have an amazing Thanksgiving!!
-Sister Checketts

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