Week 9 - FINALLY PICTURES

Hey Mom and Dad!

So yes I finally sent the pictures.  I looked so weird...almost Asian in them. I woke up like at 230 in the morning to leave the MTC. So those ones you can not show people. I am working on taking more pictures throughout the week. 

That's good you had a good thanksgiving! I think my favorite times are when our family gets together especially during the holidays. My thanksgiving was great! We just ate lots of food and between appointments.  I also took a nap.  I can not remember the last time I took a nap ha ha. My first one on my mission! I never have time to on my P Days so it was great.  Our first appointment was Sister Sandy Anderson. Her daughter is Whitney and she is going to marry Charlie. Whitney and Charlie feed us dinner every Tuesday night, they are awesome. Sister Sandy Anderson is a great cook! They live in the middle of the backwoods haha it's pretty sweet. But I had Hash Brown Casserole, cheesy Pineapple Casserole, this special gravy, and lots of pie! I know Inever liked pie but I love pie in the south. Chess pie, Key Lime pie, and Lemon ice box pie are sooo good. So after the Anderson's we went back to the apartment for a while. Then we went to the Greene's for dinner. They are just awesome. We got to see there house in the day time for the first time! There house is made up of the 3 different trailers, AND somehow has an upstairs. I don't know how that's all possible but they built it somehow. We got there around 330 but didn't eat till around 7 or 730. Their family is hootnanny, its just craziness there. It is so fun to be there though. They invite us over every Monday night for dinner and FHE. They love having us over. 

I hoped Grandma and Grandpa got my letters! I'm really glad they did get them. I sent your letter and dad and Scott's letter this morning so hopefully you'll get them soon. I wish I could have helped Grandpa more when I was there! I loved working outside! I wish I could have helped built the fence back up. I cleared out a lot of the land where he used to keep the cows. I can't wait to get back and help Grandpa out there. I hope that Devan will go help Grandpa if he gets animals again. I know being up there taught me a lot.  And now I know what I want in my life. It's a goal for me to work towards too. It's a motivation for me right now on my mission. I know if I give it my all everyday I will be blessed right now and in time to come. And then you and Dad can move to the country where I'll live and you can have horses and cows with me! It is going to be great mom. Just wait and see.

Camping in Colorado this summer was one of my most favorite camping trips ever! It was really fun and riding was fun also. I hope you got to see the videos Grandpa took at night around the fire, some of them were pretty funny! haha and the videos of Jace and Noah getting on the horse was way funny haha. Ask grandpa or if you can to email me some of those videos if you could.

Well the cold here is alot colder than Gilbert! But I'm doing fine. I keep warm throughout the day and at night. It has been raining for like 3 days in a row now so it gets pretty chilly out in the country at night. We went through the area book and found a couple who used to take the lessons. And they live out in the country about 15 minutes away. There names are Caron and Raymond, he works on the big farm but they invited us to come back to start the lessons again! I'm excited! and oh my goodness, last night we had a lesson with Gracie and I have never in my life felt the spirit so strong. I made everyone in the room cry cause the spirit spoke through me. Even Gracie was crying, and I was too. But it was my most spiritual lesson yet. Elder Tondevold said that's in his top 5 lessons and he's been out 18 months. The spirit can do amazing things.

The ward I am in is called the Murray ward and the stake is the Paducah Stake. I think its the second biggest stake in the mission. Area wise, definitely not members In Mayfield they had 14 people attend sacrament meeting one time. So that should give you an idea.  

I am so grateful for your letters and emails.  They help through the times of home sickness.  There are few now, but they help.  I know that my faith can conquer my fear but i just got to stick to my faith in Jesus Christ and hold on.  

 Love Elder Vaughn Perkins