Happy Thanksgiving!!

There are so many things to be grateful for I don't even know where to begin!!! This week was wonderful and I really felt the Lord consecrating our efforts! First of all, Amanda, Karina, and Charlotte all came to church yesterday - it was Amanda's first time and she LOVED it!!!! She signed up to bring a salad to our ward Christmas party! And she's planning on coming to YW in excellence on Wednesday with Karina!!! It makes me so happy to see HER so happy and wanting to be involved! I was just reflecting on how much that family has changed since Sister Killian and I first met them 4 months ago... literally night and day difference! I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE WAY THE GOSPEL CHANGES LIVES!!!!!!!!!

Second! I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE WAY THE SPIRIT GUIDES US!!!!!! There were two days this week where we were TOTALLY exactly where we needed to be at EXACTLY the right times - without  even realizing it until afterward! Here's an example: when Sister Tidwell and I were together in Kettle Moraine, we tracted into this man named Gary and shared the Book of Mormon with him! Well, this week WE MET GARY AGAIN!!!! In Neenah!!!!! Through a series of small "coincidences" that are too tiny and multitudinous to report! We were blown away. We were able to follow up with Gary's Book of Mormon reading and invite him to learn more, and even though he isn't currently interested, we both strongly feel that he's one of the elect! He just needs a little more time to be prepared!

I AM GRATEFUL FOR GOSPEL-STRONG SAINTS IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD! Even random small towns in Wisconsin! This Thanksgiving we were taken in by the Brickeys in the Neenah ward, who are absolutely wonderful and so kind and generous to us, and also by the Prusses, who are quite closely related to Sister Tidwell! I love feeling like I have a home away from home - what a blessing. I will never be able to adequately thank all the people who have made Wisconsin a precious sanctuary to me.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR TRADITIONS! Being raised in a family where Turkey Bowls are non-negotiable, I was SO grateful to get to play football on Thanksgiving morning - even if we WERE the only girls who showed up!

I AM GRATEFUL FOR MY COMPANIONS!!!! ALL of them!!!! I have so much joy and gratitude in my heart when I think of the lessons I learned from EACH of them that I couldn't have learned any other way! And Sister Tidwell continues to be a blessing to me! 

I AM GRATEFUL FOR UGLY SWEATERS so we could re-enact last year's Christmas photos. So much has changed, and yet nothing has changed.. all at once!!!!

And definitely not last OR least.... I AM GRATEFUL FOR MY FAMILY!!!!!!!! There is nothing I crave more than to be surrounded by the ones I love FOREVER. So I AM ALSO GRATEFUL FOR THE SEALING POWER restored in these latter days!!!! 

I love you all. Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful!!! thank you for the prayers.

xoxo

Sister K.