Thanksgiving

21 November 2010

Dear mum, papa, family and friends,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I am jealous that L and B are home right now, and I don't get to be for thanksgiving! I am sad to miss thanksgiving festivities, but it sounds like you are all going to have a wonderful time!

It sounds like you had a great time in VA. Very fun! And the pictures that you took there of the kids are beautiful! What cute nephews I have! I can't believe M and R are putting their house on the market! That’s awesome. And stressful. They are incredible! I’m glad you stayed mom, to be with them a day more to help out. That’s great!

I’m sorry about the Messiah rehearsal being freezing. That’s how I feel here all the time. I am actually getting a cold right now because of it I think. My rain coat just isn't heavy enough for this weather. It is COLD here. Sooo sooo cold. We have to layer up everything. I wear a hat every day, and at least two pairs of tights and long socks and boots and like three tops and gloves and a scarf and a jacket, and I am still frozen. Blah! I am so grateful I am only here one winter. I couldn't handle another I am pretty sure! But I know how cold you get mum, so I am hoping that they get the heater worked out there. I feel like it was always cold in there though, no?

So you found my flat on Google earth! Way to go. Amazing. I couldn't even tell for a second if it was right, but it is. It’s a hard thing to find. When we first got here, we passed the little road about 5 times, and then had to be directed on the phone by the elders who had lived there before. Crazy!

I am glad papa spoke at the funeral. I wonder if he would send me the talk. I would love to read it. Oh, and getting the L-C report via post is amazing. I love reading it! So thanks so much for getting that off to me papa. I am going to win the next quiz. Watch out! Ha-ha.

So I curled my hair this Sunday for church, and I actually liked it down and everything. So maybe it's getting better. Pretty exciting. Sister P and I have decided to get rid of anything that isn't healthy in the flat, and we eat a ton of fruit. You asked what I eat for all three meals. For breakfast, I either have bran cereal, oatmeal, or granola and yogurt. Lunch, we don't really have a set thing. It’s just whatever. Usually sandwiches or something. We don't have much food in the house. And then dinner we have almost every night at someone's house. It’s great, because we are getting to know the branch so well. But they feed us these crazy dinners every night. But don't feel bad about me not having a thanksgiving dinner, because that's like all we eat here. Last night, Sister P notified me that in the last seven dinner appointments, three of them were roast dinners. But their stuffing is nothing compared to yours mum. And I will miss your jello. I love that jello.

I know. I hope I marry someone I get along with as well as I get along with Sister P! Ha-ha. We really have not had one argument. It’s beautiful. And President Ogden called us today, and basically told us we are staying together for longer. So we have at least two more months together! Yay!

Oh, and you asked who drove to Wales for our zone conference. Sister P drove there, and I drove back. It was about a two hour drive. Not too bad. It’s beautiful there! And we crossed on a bridge which reminded me of home. Very fun!

So what's been going on here. We have had a crazy week. We had a zone meeting in Gloucester with the whole zone. We are still learning our new training. It went really well, and we have such fun elders in our zone, it was nice. They actually talk to us, and we play games with them and stuff. It’s fun!

We then had just a long week of really trying to make all the members feel loved, and really getting to know them. And we have had so much success. We have had two new investigators come from member referrals, which is great! Here is one story, which was amazing! So we have been going over to a less active woman’s house to help her around the house. We clean her kitchen for her sometimes. And she has an active daughter who's 17, but she is struggling. So we went over to have dinner in their home. We were their first EVER dinner guests. And the ward was shocked that we even got into their home, let alone invited to dinner. And then on Sunday, we went over again to have scripture study with the daughter charlotte. When we went over, there was their friend/referral that they had given us the week previous. And she (sally) stayed for a lesson, and she kept asking questions about the church, and she loves everything she knows about the church! It’s awesome. We have another appointment with her this next week. And sally has been trying to convince Vicky (the mum) to get a blessing, because she has been really ill. And they have been trying to convince her for about 2 years, and finally, she succumbed. And we called a priesthood holder, and he is coming on Wednesday night to give her a blessing. And sally is so excited. It’s so cool!

Anyway! Sorry that this letter is so all over the place. I will write a better one next week. I love you! And thanks for the letter! Have fun with L and B! And take lots of pictures!
Love you so so much!
All my love, heaped up pressed down and running over,
Sister Annie Clark