Hermana Escalante: Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Hello All!

So it sounds like you've been having some great experiences! The conference with Elder Packer was great, though it was different than I was expecting. It was more like an introduction to a conference we'll be having in a few weeks with Elder Richards. Elder Packer just talked about the importance of Family History, and how it invites the Spirit, and I guess Elder Richards will be coming to tell us more about this Pilot Program we'll be doing here with Family History work in the mission. Sister Johnson and I have been trying to use the Family History in more in contacts and all throughout the work since then. We will be meeting with one of the Family History Specialists tonight to get a run down on FamilySearch.org because a young man (who didn't seem to interested in our message, but was interested once we started asking him about his genealogy work) said we could come back this Wednesday to help him setup an account. Should be interesting and I'll let you know how it goes.

I was able to go up to the Packer's and ask them if they remembered an Elder Escalante from Spain and they said yes! I mentioned Michael training they're son and they remembered that too. I wasn't able to get a picture with them (not really appropriate in the setting, I guess), but hopefully Wes believes me that I met his mission president :) How is he doing in Tech school?

Like I said, the conference, was good, but to be honest, I was feeling a little tired afterwards. Not only because it was a long meeting, but because I'm about 14 months out, and I feel like it. I have been learning and trying to implement skills for the last 14 months and I feel like it's all sort of adding onto my plate and I'm not a perfect missionary (not that anyone expects me to be) so sometimes it's hard knowing that we are to implement new things when I still don't have the other skills mastered. But oh well, it was still great. I was able to go up and talk a little bit about my experience in gathering my family history info for the conference. Fun stuff.

Oh, the pictures from Mexico just came in and my sobrino is soooo cute! Goodness! I'm excited to see them all at Christmas! Ariana wrote me today! Finally! Yay! With lots of fun pictures J I'll have to write her back next week though because I'm already about out of time. Sorry, I had a few others to write today, so you won't get much either. Forgive me?

We went to Brandon's baptism last night, which was great. I think I mentioned him a few weeks ago. We were teaching him and set a baptismal date but then we found out he was under 30 and we passed him off to the YSA Elders. He came to church with us once though, and so that's how he and Don know each other. I heard them talking after the baptismal service about their testimonies and how the gospel has changed their lives...it was so cute! Oh, I love it. I love this gospel. It's so true. It really does change lives, and that's because it's the Savior's true gospel.

I don't really remember what questions you asked me, but if I didn't answer any of them, ask me again, and then I'll answer next week. Sorry. Anyway, I got the music. Thank you! Don is getting baptized this Friday, so it will be a great, but busy week, especially since most of the ward will be out of town, including our Ward Mission Leader. We are working on helping our other investigators to progress, but it is a crazy time of year for most, so hopefully after this next week, things will calm down and we'll be able to see them more.

Oh, I don't have time for details, but we dropped one of our investigators for trying to flirt-text with us. Ugh, gross. He's like 35+ and trying to hit on us young girls. No good. But no worries, I have no problem with being very direct, so I told him off (in the most professional and spiritual way possible), and we haven't heard back from him since.

Oh, I love working with this Ward Council. I feel like that is part of the reason why I am here in English work - to see how a Ward Council is supposed to function! They're so great, though we are still working with everyone and their personal missionary work.

Out of time! Quote for the week: "I don't have the answer to everything...but what I have is enough!" (One of the sisters said that in her powerful testimony during RS this week - remind me and I'll tell you more about it next week.)

LOVE YOU!! BYE!!!

Hermana Alyssa Nicole Escalante