Sunday, January 20, 2013

 11/26/12
Hey family,

so your story about the flood on Thanksgiving was hilarious. I'm sorry ya'll had to go through that on Thanksgiving but it was definitely funny to imagine. And it will be a memory for ya'll to remember! I hope everyone was able to be especially grateful this thanksgiving with that happening ha. 

So i was in a threesome companionship for a week and now I am back to one companion. So it's Sister Mickelson and me. We are basically whitewashing the area. Meaning, Sister Mickelson and I are both brand new to the area, we don't know anyone, and we also don't really have any investigators from the previous missionaries. So it's like we're starting completely fresh with this area. We have been getting to know as many members as we can in this ward and I know that will be a huge factor in the results of the work done here. It's definitely different being back in a ward. I forgot how big wards actually are. I went from about 4 people in relief society each week to a classroom full. It's exciting. The people here are GREAT. and there are actually many people that are in the ward that are originally from Idaho, so it's been fun to make those connections. The work here is incredibly slow. We are trying each day to find new people to teach. I know we are here for a reason and there are people for us to find and to teach. As we follow the spirit and are exactly obedient, this area will begin to grow. 

For Thanksgiving, we were able to go to a member's home. They had a few families over from the ward so we were able to get to know everyone which was really nice. So Sister Barnes was the lady who invited us over and she had a picture of her daughter who is on a mission on a desk. She looked way too familiar to me. I asked where she was at and she said she is in Russia. Then it all clicked! I was in the MTC the same time she was and we played volleyball with her and her companion all the time. I remember her being excited when we told her we would be serving in Tennessee. She hoped we would meet her family.and wala! I'm in her families ward now. It's exciting.

oh hey, I also sent ya'll a letter so let me know when you get it :) Well family, I love you all so so so much. Have the best week ever! and don't get too cold in that snow! (You have snow right now, right?) anyway i love ya'll!!!

Sister Preston