Hello!

Well, I hope I don't disappoint anyone this week, but I don't have a WHOLE lot to write about. Spent a ton of time at the Trail Center, which was awesome, but means that I don't have many "missionary stories" to write home this week. It was fun to see pictures of Curt at homecoming. How in the planet earth did he get so old? Several girls in my ward here think he is cute.....is he seriously old enough that girls in the singles ward could be crushin on him? Sorry to embarrass you Curtsey.

This week will be a really fun one. It is Zone Conference week AND Halloween, so the TC schedule gets crazy. We are here all day Tuesday and Wednesday, then we have Zone Conf in Sioux City and our Halloween party on Thursday, so we aren't in our area until Friday. It will be CRAZY, but it is guaranteed to be a fun week, especially because it is Sister Owen's birthday on Wednesday, and Sister Harris's birthday on Friday. PARTY.

Yesterday was an awesome day at church! Jacob is such a solid investigator...how am I always so blessed? Jacob has just really continued to press forward and we are almost finished teaching him all of the lessons. It is really incredible because he struggles a lot with depression, and he has been able to see a change in his life, and particularly in his depression, as he has read the scriptures and felt the Spirit more in his life. How incredible is it that something as simple as reading the scriptures can "heal our wounded souls" like it says in Jacob 2??? You all know how much I love words....mom would laugh at me because no one reads like I do....but I have NEVER found more beautiful and comforting words than in the pages of the Book of Mormon, and especially as I've been on my mission.

We taught Jacob the law of chastity last night. Hahahah it's always the best lesson to teach because everyone (including my companions) are always so awkward about it. I guess it's worse when your investigator is a 21-year-old single man. It went really well, but he was about 900 different shades of red at the beginning. Classic. It was really neat to see, though, that as the Spirit entered his heart, that he calmed down SO much. Ha, see, the Spirit even helps with awkwardness. Hallelujah.

We have a lesson with some new investigators tonight! We found them when we were visiting a less-active member of our ward named Ryan and they were really excited about learning more. Will update you next week on how it goes!

I guess this week, I have just felt the power of the Spirit in my life and the lives of those we teach. I know that as we do the things that help us have the Spirit in our lives, we will be able to recognize more peace and strength to do the things that we have been asked to do. It won't make the hard things go away, but like Daddy always told me, it'll "make you tough" enough to overcome. I love serving the Lord and getting to feel of the power of His Spirit every day.

Love you all so much. You have no idea what you mean to me.

Love you to the moon and back :)

Sister Farns