Sister Taylie Bee: GRATEFUL

Hi there family,

It's been a good week here in Somersworth. Have seriously been as busy as a Bee :)

So funny moment from this week. Mom do you remember how we were shopping right before my mission, and I had pretty much everything I needed? Well I remember being in a store and seeing a skirt that I really really liked.. You told me I was good and didn't need any more skirts. Somehow I pulled out the killer one liner that you couldn't say no to... "But mom... I know by wearing this skirt it'll bring the people there unto Christ." I still remember the look on your face and the laugh that followed..Yep the skirt was mine! Haha it's been my most favorite skirt on my mission, so thank you for buying it for me. So Wednesday this week I wore that skirt.. "The Jesus skirt".. And guess what happened!? A brand new investigator!! Not any investigator, a golden investigator :) haha she's wonderfulllll! I barely know her but have so much love for her. we knocked on her door a few months ago and just haven't been able to catch her home.. Until last week we caught her home and set up a return appointment and ended up having a very spiritual lesson with her this week. It was in her backyard by her nice blue pool, it was very heavenly. (I had day dreams of me doing big cannon balls into her pool... Haha just kiddin) I love seeing potential in people, and I see such potential in her.. And I know that she'll be able to grow in Christ. I admire her humble heart to listen to us. The first time my last companion and I tracked into her she stopped what she was doing and we were able to teach her a little bit of the restoration. She mentioned in her lesson how her neighbors saw her meeting with us, and he told her not to let us come back. I'm grateful she pushed that comment to the side and was humble enough to hear us out. I know it's because the spirit has touched her heart.

So this week I got bit by a freaking dog. Haha he jumped up out of nowhere and bit the back of my arm. I was so thankful to have had a cardigan on, truly that was what helped out the whole situation. It didn't break skin or anything where I had layers on. So it just bruised. I acted like it didn't hurt because I could already see how the owner was so sad and upset. But really it hurt and I was crying on the inside. Lol but that was like Wednesday and I'm fine now, and I don't have rabies so all is well :)

So we don't live too far from Joseph Smiths memorial! How neat is that? I hope to be able to go there before I leave, or am able to come back with you guys and check it out. I hear it is a very sacred place. Anyways last month there were two elders that were there, and they see this big van pull up and all these people jump out of the van.. Little did they know Elder Holland and his whole family jump out of the van. How neat is that! And what an experience for those two elders from my mission!

Yesterday our relief society president, Sister Elsworth gave a great talk in sacrament. I probably will butcher it, but I want to share with you a few things that stuck out to me from it! It was on doing our family history work, and doing temple ordinances for them. She mentioned how her doing her family history work was like a new kid trying to learn how to drive a stick shift... Ya start, and ya stop... And then start and stop again.. Until you finally get the hang of it. Haha I thought it was a really cute way of putting it.

She also asked us all to think of family dinner... A time when your sitting around the dinner table to eat family dinner and you notice someone's missing. You feel an absence, and feel like something or someone is wrong.. She said that's how it will be when we cross over the veil to the other side and some of our family members haven't had their temple ordinances such as baptism and sealings done. She encouraged us to get family names to take to the temple someday, and to make sure everyone will be sitting around that table when we cross over. It really got the gears a turning in my head, and really made me realize and remember even more how important temple ordinances and temple work is!

I truly have came to find how it's feels to be mentally, spiritually, and physically tired every day by 9:30.. But I love it so much. It's the weirdest thing really. I have never been so grateful in my life. Im even grateful for the hard days, because that's when I've truly had to look to the Lord for help, and have had to look to him. I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm so grateful for these new iPads, they help out with the work so much I'm grateful for how I get to share the gospel daily, it truly brings so much happiness into my life being able to teach the gospel, and to talk about our wonderful Father in Heaven and our Savior. They love us so much! I'm grateful for all of you, I've been blessed with great family and friends. I'm grateful for the lifelong friends I have met out here. I'm just going on a grateful tangent.. Once we notice things we're grateful for, I always seem to find more. Well...email time has ran out.. But as missionaries we always try to leave commitments with others.. So I invite you all to focus this week on things you're grateful for. An attitude of gratitude truly makes the biggest difference in life.

D&C 78: 19 And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.

PS... Check out a great talk called the divine gift of gratitude. It's by Thomas S. Monson.. It'll change your life for forever ;)

"To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to LIVE with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven."

Sure love you.

Remember to smile, and to have a good week.

XoXoXo

-Sister Bee