Blizzard in Idaho: Birthdays all around!

Thanks for all the Bday wishes and memories! It ended up being a crazy week because Sister Roundy's birthday was the 13th and mine was the 15th. I think I've had more cake given to me this week than I have the rest of my mission put together. Thankfully, the apartment of Elders down the street was willing to let us share with them.

Also, thank you for all the pictures at the reunion! I got Mom's package with the t-shirt and all your happy thoughts. You all look so wonderful. I'm sure the reunion was unforgettable for everyone.

This week was a week of being tired. Man, I feel like my whole week's journal entries were, "Well, I'm pretty tired, so this will be a short entry." I soon discovered that the feel-good tired after a long day of work DOES NOT equal the horribly-painful tired as you try to drag yourself out of bed in the morning. It's been a really good week, though. I love my mission SO much. I am learning so much, and it's insane.

Recently, I've been in some sort of agency phase--meaning, everything I read or study somehow ties back to agency. It's becoming funny. Sister Roundy gets a kick out of it, I think, because everyday in comp study, I tell her what I learned about agency. I don't even look for it, either! It's just there. Anyway, I'm trying to pick on some sort of hint that the Lord's giving me.... I know if I don't learn what I need to now, I'll be learning it the hard way later. See? It's a choice! I can learn it now, painlessly.. or I can learn it later, forcefully. It's all about agency! I'm laughing so hard at myself right now because that's seriously how the whole week has been. I don't know what the deal is. I'm probably going insane.

I've noticed something else odd this week that I don't really know how to explain..... The people that we're working with right now are having more "big-kid problems." I didn't realize it until now, but most of the struggles that my investigators or less-actives have had are thing like pride, laziness, being offended--all the abstract things that are actually pretty easy to teach about and help. Most of the time we were gently rebuking people for not doing the things they knew they needed to be. The people in this area are different. The things that they're dealing with are a lot more tangible. One of our less-active families had a 7 year old daughter pass away this week. Another girl in her early 20s went to the hospital and they found 7 tumors on her brain. She has been given days to live. A lot of people are doing terribly sad things just to make rent for the month. Others are in severely abusive relationships. The list goes on. It's different to try to bring the comfort and love of the gospel to these people with so many needs. Anyway, it's just an observation for now, and I haven't figured it out yet. I'm obviously open to suggestions.

I love you dearly.

Sister Pratt