Hey!

 

I'm so excited to write you guys this week about all of the things that  have been going on here, but when I sit down I don't know where to start. Next week, I should really think about it beforehand.

 

Before I forget. I have Jeremy's address address. I was hoping for his email address, so I could email him. Sorry for the confusion there. Thanks for all the letters this week. Its really like Christmas when your district leader pulls our a letter for you to go read at the end of the day. We get all giddy to go here about the outside world. As much as we love it here, there's no place like home. :) Also. Dad accidentally sent his letter three times, so it was like extra awesome Christmas that night. Hannah. Keep the details coming. I love feeling like I'm not missing out too much on your life even though I'm not there with you all the time.

 

Yes Tom. I have been sucked into playing volleyball. We play almost every gym time actually. And its been fine up until this week. I may or may not have basically punched one of the elders in the face during a game this week. Let's just say, no one is unfamiliar with my lack of coordination and tendency narrate that lack with sound effects... But it's fun anyways!

 

This week we had a really good devotional that talked a lot about planning. Immediately after which me and Sister Warburton proceeded to not apply and have our first really terrible lesson. It was really amazing how bad at Portuguese and at working together we are when we don't have the Spirit to help us because we simply haven't put in our part in planning and preparing. But it was ok, because Sister Warburton is really great and showing me the good in every situation that we have. So good lesson or bad, as we talk and work for the next one I feel like we are really good at helping each other learn a lot.

 

 

In Sacrament meeting last week one of the counselors in our Branch Presidency was released and so the counselor and his wife both bore their testimonies; and I don't know why I'm really sharing that detail other than that was the occasion when I had this thought. While Sister Keck was bearing her testimony I was just overwhelmed with how grateful I am that we all are given such different gifts and strengths and that we have the opportunity to help each other and learn from each other through them. And I was so grateful in particular for Hannah and how different she is from me and what different and amazing strengths she has from me and that I get to have her as my sister. I love you! I was so grateful in particular that you (ignore the changing voice) are so good at owning/using the gifts that you have and that because of that I have learned to really appreciate other people's gifts and through that understand better that my gifts really come from Heavenly Father and are not something for me to be proud of or to keep to myself. They are His to use the way He wants to and the biggest thing I am learning how to do is how to let Him and how to best build them and improve them so that He can use me even more. So thanks Hannah for being my sister and helping me to learn that amazingly important principle just by being yourself and different from me.

 

The other thing that I have really been learning this week in conjunction with that is how simple and straightforward the gospel of Jesus Christ is and should be when we talk about it. And that Heavenly Father has really given us all the tools that we need to learn about it if we work to utilize them. I don't know if I can really explain that thought much more at the moment, so hopefully it means something to you anyways.

 

Also, I asked a couple of weeks ago in a handwritten letter, but my writing was really bad... but could you maybe send me some normal socks to wear during gym time. I've been borrowing my companion's and she would probably like for me to stop. And if not this week, I'll just buy some big ones in the shop, but if you could I would very much appreciate it.

 

Well, time is running out. sorry for the randomness. I will try to organize my thoughts for next week and actually reply to the letters you sent me. Maybe even try to remember a funny story or two. (Like earlier this week when I accidently told my teacher she was awful... in english... the statement was "You're awful." and I didn't notice until she started laughing a little bit... yeah, the embarrassing moments haven't stopped since I got here. Or like the other day when someone asked me how I was and I replied with "agua." Por que? nao sei. Or like how I have a laughing fit in every class that we have covering the hours of 8:30-9:30. Oh and my district has taken to trying to imitate my laugh....)

 

Well, farewell.

 

Sister Lofgreen